To the Socially Awkward
by naltrike
Summary: Jaune Arc is the four-time Vale Tournament Champion - an accomplished fighter. The fans love him - he's a star, a prodigy. In real life? He's a socially awkward dork who couldn't talk if his life depended on it. Maybe, though, things will be better at Beacon. He'll find a team, make friends, get a girlfriend, and save the world!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Beginnings

* * *

Jaune Arc was, for the first time in forever, nervous for battle.

Being the four time Vale Tournament Champion meant stress was a regularity. Screaming fans or worse— rabid haters were a regular sight. He had gotten used to it over time— letting his skill and his weapon do the talking.

Today was different. It was an altogether different challenge. A new battle. Today was the beginning of his student career at Beacon Academy, and he was positively terrified.

It had seemed simple enough. He had lived his entire life as a fraud— his persona built up by the public. He had to play the role of a ladies' man and a daredevil who lived for the thrill of the battle. Now, he wanted to leave that all behind. No more competitive fighting, no more interviews, and **definitely no more Jaune Arc fan clubs.** He would become a proud Huntsman-in-training at the prestigious Beacon Academy. He would join his own team, make some real friends, and— at the end of the line, he would get a girlfriend. It was just like his training regimen, with steps. Simple. Easy. Concrete.

He had been an absolute idiot.

It had all started when he had gotten into the Bullhead— the stares, the whispers, the looks of wonder. He had expected it, of course. That was good, that was fine. It didn't hurt to be respected. And then, his greatest fear.

Air sickness.

Oh, it was a riot that the feared and powerful warrior Jaune Arc would fall to something as paltry as nausea— of course, no one would understand that it was actually a fairly common and completely legitimate medical problem. What made matters worse was that he had somehow ended up barfing on the shoes of this blonde haired bombshell... Yang, or something, and made a complete fool out of himself.

She had taken it well, of course, with the whole 'Honored to meet you' excuse. Thankfully she had done most of the talking, and then he had managed to escape her clutches, because if he had opened his mouth for too long, he would have no doubt revealed his true identity— good at fighting, but absolutely terrible with the ladies. Or men, for that matter.

Seriously, what was it with some people? Since when had good— nay, excellent combat skills translated to being a suave and confident lady killer? Or was that how it was supposed to be? Was he the result of some cruel joke of the gods?

" _Hahahaha! Let's make this guy a total badass on the field, but then totally screw him over in the personality department! No confidence! Super dorky! Complete absence of social skills! Air sickness! Bwahahahaha!"_

His sisters nagged him constantly about it. It didn't matter that he could cut down opponents with ease, that he could literally manipulate Aura to blast opponents off their feet. Noooo, all they saw was their beloved brother who couldn't talk to a good-looking girl if his life depended on it.

They had made bets, like they always did. _Eighty lien that Jaune can't get a girlfriend by his fourth year! No, a hundred!_

 _Screw it,_ he had thought to himself. _I'll show them. When I bring my girlfriend home, she'll blow your socks off. She'll be smart, pretty, cool, strong, loving—_

Heh. The innocence of youth.

His parents had been far kinder— as they always were. His mother, ever the worrywart, had gone over the packing list around two hundred times, to the point where he had begun to worry about her mental health. His father, a graduate of Beacon himself, had been similarly nervous, but of course had gone about it in a more... _withdrawn_ way.

He had bought him a book.

Jaune had no idea what his father had with books, but he had deemed it part of Jaune's 'intellectual education.' Every birthday or holiday, while his sisters received new shoes or the most recent scroll, he received a book.

He had long given up on attempts to complain about injustice.

Jaune looked down skeptically at the dark green book. The cover read '365 Wise Sayings for an Year," in bolded gold letters. By… 'Yatsuhashi Daichi?" It was hardcover, and he enjoyed the feeling of it in his hands. He wasn't a bookworm by any means, but rather enjoyed the smell of books and pages. He _was_ a big fan of 'Ninjas of Love.' Not that he would _ever_ admit it to anyone— if anyone found out that he was a closet pervert who loved reading smut, he would be ruined.

If his **sisters** found out... all hell would break loose.

He shuddered at the thought as he tentatively opened the cover, peering down at the daily saying.

In flowery writing, it read: "Life is like a flower— it wilts and blooms. When it blooms, heed it."

 _Yech._ Then again, what had he expected from his father? _Still, better than the last gift he had gotten me._ His father had claimed for Jaune's seventeenth birthday, he needed 'sexual education.' Jaune recalled with horror how he had brought forth an encyclopedia on reproduction, including STDs and contraception. He had forced him to read it aloud, especially the part about contraception.

Jaune cursed as he quickly stowed away the thoughts of the cursed item. That way led madness.

The doors of the ship slowly opened, and he winced as the ship groaned under the weight of students rushing out. He sighed. _Okay, Jaune. Not a great start, but you can make it up. Not all battles start well._

He put on a confident smile as he walked out. _Beacon Academy, here I come._

* * *

Yang Xiao Long watched as Jaune trudged away.

The day had begun with a bang— it turned out that Ruby would be going to Beacon _with her_ , two years early in fact. A surprise, sure, but come on, that was awesome!

Then she had met Jaune Arc— championship fighter. He was good, for sure— she had watched some of his fights. She wasn't a rabid fan, of course, but she gave respect where respect was due. Arc was legit— probably as good as some graduated Huntsmen, even.

She wasn't sure what she was expecting when she met him, but it definitely wasn't what she had been met by.

He had walked into the Bullhead looking like the world was about to end, clutching onto his luggage for dear life. To her delight, he had taken a seat on the same bench as her, oblivious to the people around him. They had sat like that for a few minutes, Ruby angrily kicking her for some joke she had made— she didn't even remember at this point.

Realizing that the situation would only become more awkward as time progressed, she switched on her Xiao Long charm and said, "Hey, nice to meet you. The name's Yang."

He turned, and she realized in horror that his face had turned a brilliant shade of green. He opened his mouth as if he was a fish before spewing out projectiles of vomit. Her instincts kicked in and she rolled away from the torrent. Her shoes were splattered, though, much to her disgust, but before she could say anything he had begun showering her with apologies.

She had shared a confused glance with Ruby. _This was_ _ **the**_ _Jaune Arc?_

He seemed nice enough, though, although she had done most of the talking— he had been busy drinking water and cleaning up his mess. He did give her the occasional 'uh-huh' and manly grunt, which she supposed was a crucial part of the male language.

It was when he had finally spoken on his own that she had come to an epiphany.

"Y-yeah. Are you nervous for initiation? Because I am. Well, er, not to say that I'm, like, unprepared or anything, because I'm not unprepared. No, n-not at all! I-I- I'm prepared, but, you know, like, stage fright and stuff, right? Plus, uh, we're going to be getting our teams soon, right? Yeah. I mean, geez— think about it— four years, am I right? Like, this is a big deal! So I guess my point, is, uh, I'm more nervous about like, the teams, you know? Not the actual fighting part. I'm sure that'll be okay. You think maybe they'll give us some supplies before the initiation? I heard..."

He trailed on like that for more than a minute as the dawning realization fell upon her.

Jaune Arc, championship fighter and prodigy— was socially awkward.

Oh, sure, she had seen some of his interviews, but they seemed far too scripted. Honestly, who talked like that in real life?

This was hilarious. Of course, she didn't think any less of him or anything like that— being socially awkward was fine! It was a bit ironic, sure, that _Jaune Arc_ of all people was socially awkward, but she knew at least one another person who suffered from being awkward, and if she could get the two to be friends? She had kind of forgotten to introduce her, but it was fine— there were still many chances. Two awkward people becoming best buds! That would be perfect!

She was jolted back to reality by Ruby, who piped up with her regular cheer. "He seemed nice."

"Yeah, I suppose. Bit socially awkward, though, eh? He reminded me of someone I knew."

Silver eyes looked at her with a suspicious look, as if expecting something. If Ruby was trying to look intimidating— she was failing miserably, looking more like a bunny rabbit. _Awwwww._ But Ruby wasn't wrong with her suspicions— Yang supposed that as her sister it was forgivable.

"Really?"

Yang nodded. "Yep. You." Before Ruby could protest, she placed a finger on the younger girl's lips. "Not in a bad way, I swear— it's just that you'd expect with him being this hotshot that he'd be really confident and cool, too— but he isn't! He has his own insecurities and problems! There's nothing wrong with that, right?"

Ruby paused as if considering her words. "Yeah, I guess?" Her eyebrows knit together in that cute way Yang always loved. She really was _too_ adorable sometimes.

"Anyways, my point is— you should try to get closer to him! He seems like a nice enough guy, but you can bond over your lack of social skills! Plus, I'm sure he's a weapons nerd, too." She teased, raising her eyebrow.

Ruby pouted, clearly unimpressed. "If you call me a weapons nerd one more time, I'm not going to help you with your upgrades on Ember Celica next time."

 _Mehhhhh._ "Fine, fine. Sorry." She plastered on a grin. "But at least try to make friends with him, okay? Maybe even more than friends? Eh? Eh?"

"Yang! I haven't even talked to him yet!" The girl hissed, but nonetheless her face flushed. Yang laughed. It was too easy sometimes. Ruby looked up at the ceiling, deep in thought, before nodding. "But... yep. I'll give it a try. Dad said I should try getting out of my shell, right?"

"Yeah! Plus, being friends with the best fighter our age? That's cool!"

The reaper seemed to get more excited by the second. A 'cool' stamp of approval from Yang meant it had to be a good idea. _This was a_ _ **great**_ _idea_ , Yang thought to herself. _Now, just one more step._

"Well, look! He's right there! Why don't you go talk to him? Bye!"

"W-wait!" Yang smirked as she looked back to see Ruby with an utterly betrayed expression on her face, arms akimbo. _You'll thank me later._

Anyways, if Jaune ended up being a douchebag or tried anything on her sister, she'd kill him herself, championship fighter or not.

* * *

Ruby watched as Yang gleefully smiled back at her as she, despite not having a speed Semblance, zoomed away at a breakneck pace. It was just like her _darling_ sister to ditch her like that. After all, who wanted to be seen with the little, awkward, bumbling mess that was Ruby Rose.

Sometimes she just felt it was unfair. Why couldn't she have gotten more Xiao Long genes? She wanted to scream up at the sky, but thought better of it. Then she would be little, awkward, **and** insane. Even she knew those three weren't a good combination. _Acting out here would significantly lower my chances of getting a friend_ , she mused. _It's not worth the risk._

She saw Jaune, who she had yet to introduce herself to— she wasn't even sure if he had seen her. Chances were her sister's enormous bosom had completely hid her from view. Whether it had physically done so or had simply distracted him, she had no idea. Stupid Yang.

Still, she had heard most of their conversation— if you could even call it that— and she had to agree with her unusually perceptive sister. He was awkward.

Like her. Hooray!

She had seen Jaune before too— one of the Signal Academy teachers had used a video of one of his matches for a lesson. Naturally with him being a celebrity and all, she would have thought that he would be one of those suave guys Yang drooled for on TV. Yuck.

No. Instead, he seemed like a normal enough guy! Bit tall, and on the muscular side for sure, but at the same time scrawny, awkward teenage voice, and kind of lanky. Plus, he wasn't a conversationalist.

Strangely enough, that brought a nice warm feeling to her stomach. Finally! Someone who was as bad as talking as her. Heh, and it was the super awesome and cool fighter. That was a first, for sure.

He was looking around, head swivelling wildly as if looking for something. _Heh. He's lost._ Ruby thought, a smile smile appearing on her lips. It was time for Ruby Rose to come to the rescue!

She began walking towards him, plotting how she would begin the conversation. She thought back to some spy movies she had watched when she was younger. Even now the gadgets in some of them were sooooo cool.

" _The name's Rose. Ruby Rose."_ She tested it on her tongue, but scrunched up her face. Too forced.

" _Wassup? My name's Ru—"_ No. Definitely not.

Deciding she would just wing it— the ultimate strategy, mind you— she approached him, ready to offer her gallant aid.

Which was why she was just a teeny bit surprised when someone smashed into her.

 _What the hell is with this place?_ Jaune thought to himself as he spotted a girl sprawled on the pavement, the ground around her cracked. She was literally in a crater— _a crater_ of her own.

Most of the students were gone now, already making their way to the Hall, for sure. Yet he _had_ to get involved in another tricky situation with some crazy girl who had decided it would be a good idea to take a nap on the road. He watched as a beautiful girl dressed in white walked away from the scene. If he was smarter, than he would do the same. Sadly, he was an idiot.

"You okay?" He asked, stretching out a hand. "It kinda looks like you want some help. Er, unless you were laying down there on purpose." _Great going, Jaune._ "Uh— which is perfectly fine too! I'm sure it's good for your— your health?"

The girl giggled before taking hold of his hand. Jaune was impressed to feel a lot of calluses on her hand— so she was a serious Huntress. He had kind of doubted it with how small she was, and had guessed she was a visitor or something.

"So...what _were_ you doing there?" Because, come on, that was kind of weird.

She scrunched up her face. "Ugh. I don't know. I crashed into this mean girl's suitcases and she scolded me for it. Then this other girl saved me but then walked away. Then I—" Her eyes widened, and Jaune noticed that they were silver— a peculiar color.

"What's wrong?" He asked, noticing the flush in her cheeks.

"Nothing." She turned for a moment.

 _How believable_ , he wanted to say, but instead he patted her on the shoulder. "Alright. Let's get going to the Main Hall, though. I think we're going to be late if we don't get moving." _Plus, I'm lost._

"Um— I think I should admit something." _Admit? We just met! How could you possibly_ —

"My sister, Yang, told me to go and talk to you because you looked socially awkward, and I'm kind of awkward like that too, but she didn't mean it in an offensive way— I swear! So I was thinking of coming up to you and I didn't know what to say, so I—"

Jaune waved her off. "Hey, it's okay. I _am_ socially awkward." He couldn't help but give her a smile, and he was surprised at how relieved he was.

 _Finally! Some good luck! A person as awkward as I am!_

Ruby broke out in a large smile as well. "Great! We can be... socially awkward buddies, then. SAB."

Subconsciously, Jaune was aware that that was a _terrible_ name, but hey, he had just made his first friend. Plus, she actually was okay with him being a total wreck in conversation.

"Um, my name's Jaune Arc."

"Ruby. Ruby Rose."

They smiled at each other for a second before the both of them coughed and looked away. _Damn. I thought that almost seemed natural for a second._

"You don't look like Yang at all, though. No offense." Seriously, though— she didn't. Yang was tall, buxom, blonde, with lilac eyes. This girl might have been the farthest thing from Yang on Remnant— short, with raven black hair and silver eyes. She was cute, no doubt, but in a really different way.

Ruby seemed to take offence, however, and pouted. _Awww... oh, she's angry at me._

"S-Sorry." He offered. _Don't tell me I've just lost like, my only friend._

To his shock, she beamed, all vestiges of her momentary anger completely gone. "It's kay! We're half sisters, that's why. We have the same dad."

"C-cool. I guess?" What was he supposed to say to that?

They walked for a while, and Jaune couldn't help but admire the beauty of Beacon Academy— its architecture was modern yet had vintage touches. Its marble pillars shot into the air elegantly, and the walkway was paved with smooth stone. He recalled how he had visited Atlas Academy and been completely thrown off by its design. It had been more military base than school. Plus, the uniforms were soooo uptight.

Shade... heh. There was no way he was going to Vacuo. No way in hell.

Mistral seemed okay, but what was the point of going so far when Beacon looked so awesome? He closed his eyes and hummed, enjoying the trill of birdsong, the chatter of students in the distance, the wind blowing through the trees, the awkward silence of lack of conversation...

"So... I've got this thing!" Jaune's eyes _bulged_ as she pulled out a huge scythe that was almost two times the size of the diminutive girl. _Holy shit! And I thought my weapon was ridiculous._

"It's Crescent Rose— a scythe!"

 _Yes, I can tell, Ruby. Thank you for your explanation._ Jaune studied it. The downward facing grooves near the grip indicated mechashift. "Plus... a rifle?"

She beamed, her smile so wide that she could have eaten a Beowolf. "Yep! Highly customizable. Great accuracy."

Jaune grinned, impressed. "That's pretty cool." It was, too— he wasn't a total weapons nerd, but he could appreciate good weapons, and was always looking for ways to make his own better. He had to admit the scythe cut an imposing figure on its own, although he had doubts about how effective a weaponized gardening tool would be in combat. _Eh. Who am I to judge? If it works, it works._

She nodded. "Course, I have nothing but TOTAL respect for your weapon. Crocea Mors is soooo cool. It can turn into a machine gun, right?"

Jaune nodded. Although he was usually bothered by people going berserk over his weapon or his fame, he couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm. Something about it seemed natural. "Yeah, but I prefer just using the sword mode. It's actually a family heirloom, so my dad was pretty pissed when I got mechashift for it."

Ruby giggled, covering her mouth with her small fist. "Yeah, I can see how that might have made him angry."

Jaune felt himself relax. This was fine. This was great! Few minutes into the first day, he had made a friend! Although he had embarrassed himself at first, he was making a recovery! That counted for something, right?

 _Jaune 1, World 0. Suck it._

She looked around for a second. "W-wait. Do you know where we're going?"

 _What?_ "W-what? I was just following you!"

 _Jaune 0, World 1,_ he corrected.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey, everyone. Here's the second chapter of To the Socially Awkward (I have realized that there's another fanfic out there with the same name, but oh well.)**

 **I would really appreciate if you guys could leave some reviews and** **recommendations** — **I actually _don't_ have a pairing decided yet, and although I personally like Knightshade, I'm considering Arkos or White Knight as well. If you have any other ideas as well, please share them. **

**Obviously the premise for this fic is a bit different, and the foundation for an Arkos relationship would have to be massively changed. I'm a bit stuck here as well** — **should Pyrrha be the canon Pyrrha (with slight alterations) or should Pyrrha be 'Jaune-ified?' In the case where she's still sorta canon, a rivalry or something could arise, which I think could be an interesting spin.**

 **One thing I _am_ intent on doing is establishing better friendships. Seriously, Jaune never even really _talked_ to Blake in canon RWBY. **

**Anyways, I hope you enjoy this next chapter and I'd appreciate feedback+advice.**

* * *

Chapter 2- Onwards

Jaune watched as Ruby sped away towards an oblivious Yang, eyes burning with killer intent. He thought he could hear her mutter death threats under her breath, but he could have just been imagining it.

At this point, he wasn't even sure if he could trust his senses.

He looked around the Main Hall, marveling at how spacious it was. Most of the students were all crowded near the stage, enraptured in conversation or 'spying' on the competition. Some students were already polishing their weapons or writing up battle plans. While Jaune could appreciate good preparation, he didn't feel all that worried.

Was it hubris? He didn't know, but he was fairly confident he could get through initiation. Because, come on, he was pretty good at fighting. It was the one thing he _was_ good at it, and thankfully it was something important, and he actually enjoyed it. Killing a few Grimm wasn't the problem— it would be finding a good partner— an infinitely more difficult task.

As he walked closer to the stage, some people noticed him and began whispering, no doubt trying to size him up. _Just wait until you get to know me_ , he grumbled. His reputation would take a nosedive. Thinking better of standing in the middle, he headed straight towards a pillar, where he could probably hide behind and collect his thoughts. Maybe even get some sleep while the headmaster gave his speech.

He let out a huge sigh as he threw down his bags. _Damn, those were heavy._

 _Now_ it was time for some scheming. Partner... partner... partner... It wasn't like he had many choices at this point. Ruby was cool— plus, she knew his top secret and was totally cool with it. That... wasn't too bad. He wasn't sure how good of a fighter she was but she had told him she was here two years early, which meant she was pretty decent.

Yang? She seemed pretty cool, he supposed. But with her being so talkative and all? Nah. He would shrink and die. Plus, he harbored this strange jealousy for Yang— she was an extrovert who was _actually good at talking_ , and she was hella attractive. Him? He was an extrovert trapped in an awkward vessel. He wasn't bad looking, he supposed— hell, his fanclub said otherwise— but he was nothing special, at least in the eyes of _normal_ people. His fanclub was _not_ normal.

He looked around the hall but saw no one that he recognized, and he sure as hell wasn't going to approach a new person.

He could see a blonde haired woman walk up onto the stage with perhaps the most terrifying glare of all time on her face— none other than Professor Glynda Goodwitch. He had heard rumors about her— most of them revolving around "terrifying." He made a mental reminder to himself. _Someone I DO NOT want to get on the bad side of. DO NOT piss her off._ Then again, with his absolutely shitty luck, odds were that she would hate him before the day was over.

It was just the way life worked— Jaune constantly being told 'fuck you' by life. If he didn't have his Aura manipulation Semblance, it probably would have been misfortune or something like that, if that was actually a thing.

After seventeen years of life, though? Jaune had gotten used to it. After all, hitting rock bottom meant that you couldn't get any lower. It was a strange comfort. He closed his eyes and sighed. _If I sleep now, I can get some extra rest for tomorrow. Just relax... let your stress seep out—_

"HEY! My name's Nora!" _Oh god._

He opened his eyes to see a girl with bright turquoise eyes and orange hair, waving at him wildly. She was clutching onto a boy with pink eyes, but they lacked the vitality that the girl did— they were dead, empty. It was the look of total defeat and resignment.

Jaune knew that look, because it was his own.

"H-hi." Jaune offered his hand, but Nora slapped it away. _Ouch, jeez!_

"Can you make a sloth sound?"

 _What the hell?_ "Uhhh... no?"

The girl... this _Nora_ pouted angrily. "Booo... no fun." Her face brightened up immediately. "But you can make it up to me by making pancakes!"

 _Why are you doing this to me?_ He wanted to scream to the heavens, but thankfully the nearly unconscious teen spoke up, his voice completely lacking energy.

"I apologize for her behavior." He gave Jaune the most half hearted smile he had ever seen. "She's... a little energetic. My name is Lie Ren, but you can call me Ren. It's nice to meet you, Jaune."

Jaune sighed in relief. A rational person. Never was he so glad to meet one. "Nice to meet you as well. So you both are trying out for Beacon?"

This time, Nora responded, giving him a mock salute. "Yessir. And. We. Are. Ready!" She pulled out a giant hammer that almost rivaled Crescent Rose in ridiculousness and brandished it with a hungry look in her eyes. "Smashing time is soon! So soon!"

 _Oooookay. Great to see such... passion._

Ren sighed and gave him a pained look. Jaune imagined for a moment that they talked to each other telepathically, and felt a strange sense of camaraderie with the guy.

"She means well." Ren spoke, his voice still level. Jaune was bewildered how he could possibly look so calm. It was as if he exuded neutrality— was that even possible? "She's been like this since we first met, years back."

Sensing easier territory, Jaune smiled. "Oh...so you guys are childhood friends! That's nice. How did you meet?" He expected some nice, cutesy tale about how they had met at kindergarten or something, and had hit it off ever since.

"We escaped from our decimated village after a Grimm Nuckelavee killed my parents. She was a homeless orphan already, so we became a pair after that, journeying together."

 _Or it could be a sad as hell story like that. Honestly, Jaune, what were you expecting?_ "Uh... I'm sorry for your loss." He mustered, giving a weak smile.

Ren seemed to sense his regret, and shook his head. "Don't feel too bad about it. It was a very long time ago. I wasn't offended."

"O-oh. Sorry, anyways."

Nora spoke up again. "Renny's cool like that. He doesn't get angry easily! Not that he would ever get angry with me, of course. I'm pretty well behaved. Anyways, you looked really sad and lonely so we came to help you out!"

"Renny?"

Ren grimaced but didn't show even an iota of confusion. "Renny. My nickname."

Nora gave him a smile so blinding that it could have been her Semblance. "You want a nickname too? How about Lonely Boy?"

He stifled a laugh. _Lonely? No, I just wanted to have some peace. Peace that YOU have robbed me of!_ "Oh? Um, thanks! Yeah, I was really lonely. Guess you're really observant? Ha ha, ha..."

Jaune, ever the conversationalist.

Nora gave him a weird look before recovering again. It seemed as if she shifted from different moods every five seconds. "So... you okay now? We can be friends! Of course, not best best friends because Renny already has that position... we're together! Oh, but not _together together_... hehe, not like that, of course!" She looked pointedly at Ren for a second, who had closed his eyes, with a faint smile on his face. Nora sighed loudly and continued her rant. "But we can still be normal besties! Standard besties! And if you can make pancakes half as good as Renny, then we can be extra special besties!"

 _Besties... Besties... besties..._ The words echoed in his mind as his ears rang with pain. Ugh... Nora went on to say something else but it all became a jumble.

Minutes must have passed as Nora continued to rant. Everything seemed to go back to her and Ren not being 'together-together,' and Jaune was starting to think that Nora was not very happy with the current state of their relationship.

"Jaune? Jaune?"

"Y-yeah?" _Please spare me._

"So, whaddya say?"

 _What? What did you say?_ "Uh... yes?" He offered with uncertainty. It was probably an autograph or a party or something. Harmless.

"GREAT!" She cheered, clapping her hands together way too enthusiastically. _Oh god... what have I agreed to? What have I agreed to?_

"We'll be the best team EVER!"

 _Why, oh god, have you forsaken me?_

* * *

Blake was slightly stressed.

Only a bit, mind you. You didn't become a high ranking White Fang member without being able to perform in high-stress situations.

But as she swiveled her head around, scanning the scene, she was starting to panic. What had she been thinking? Infiltrating a school full of Huntsmen-in-training? _It's too late to have these doubts, Blake._ She lowered her book slightly to get a better view of the hall.

She scoffed at the sight of some teenagers essentially getting into a wrestling match in front of her, trying to get her attention. _So immature_.

 _Grrrrrrrrrrh._ Her stomach growled angrily. _I'll show you immature, lady! Feed me!_ She hadn't eaten a good meal for a while now, and the only belongings she had was Gambol Shroud, one copy of the original Ninjas of Love, an extra shirt, and thirty Lien.

She let out a huge sigh. The past few months... had been eventful, to say the least.

When had it gotten so bad? It had been a progression, of course— Adam hadn't turned into a monster in one day. But to her? He had always been a kind, good man... passionate, no doubt, but someone she could rely on. Suddenly, though, they had been on that train in Forever Fall, and he had been willing to kill so many people. How she hadn't noticed before, she didn't know.

It had been a split moment decision— she hadn't planned or prepared. When she had landed in southern Vale? She was completely alone.

Not that she couldn't survive on the streets. Pickpocketing was easy— but finding shelter had been a slightly more difficult affair. She had managed to find a ratty motel, though, albeit for a ridiculous price. She had been surviving on about one meal a day before Beacon had begun. She would be going into initiation running on fumes.

 _Better to distract yourself, Blake_ , but her book was doing a lackluster job. Even rereading her favorite Ninjas of Love novel could get boring. She needed something more exciting... maybe a special edition? Or a newer book? She should have visited Tukson's before she had come to Beacon... he would be lenient with her, letting her pay him back for books later.

She cursed and closed her eyes, trying to tune out the sound of the hall. Maybe get some sleep, too.

"Sorry, is this spot open?"

She looked to see a tall blonde looking back at her awkwardly. His sapphire eyes looked slightly away. He seemed a bit familiar... she had seen him before, that was for sure.

"Yes, it is." She shifted and gestured to her right.

He nodded in thanks and let down his bags with a sigh. She thought he could hear him mutter "fuck..." and "so heavy..." under his breath as he sank down against the wall. _Pah. At least you have bags._

They sat like that in silence, but Blake studied him from the corner of her eye. _Where have I seen—_ Ah. He was a fighter. She had seen him on television— not that she had had much time to watch it, of course, but what kind of Huntress would she be if she didn't know him? His name was John, or something, and was pretty famous. He didn't seem to care much for her, though, and she was fine with that. Silence was not something she had an aversion to. If he wanted quiet time, then she could respect that.

That was, until, he took out a large sandwich and began to munch on it happily, letting out sounds of bliss as he tucked in.

 _Don't look. Don't look. Don't—_ She turned to watch, and to her despair, it was a tuna sandwich— cold, of course, but nonetheless a _tuna sandwich_ _ **.**_ Hell, this was okay. She could watch him eat. The smell wafted to her nose, and it was euphoric— the pungent aroma of tuna...

 _Grrrrhhhh_. She looked down at her stomach with a betrayed expression. _How could you?_

She looked back up to see if the boy had heard its groaning, and to her dismay, he had. He looked at her with sympathy— _sympathy_ — to her, **Blake Belladonna** — and quickly took out another sandwich from his bag. It was wrapped in foil, but its smell was unmistakably the glorious fragrance of tuna salad. He offered it to her tentatively. "H-here." There was a hesitation to his voice, but he seemed genuine, at least, in his offer.

Normally Blake would have rejected it— she didn't need someone's charity. But now? After having not eaten in a day? After having only had oatmeal and leftovers for almost a month?

 _Screw it_ , she thought, as she muttered thanks and took it. As she bit into the sandwich, she let out an almost orgasmic sound of relief. She relished the creamy taste, her tastebuds dancing in delight as she ravaged the sandwich. It was gone in a second, and she sighed with great satisfaction, leaning back against the wall. "Thank you."

"N-no problem. My name's Jaune." He stuttered, offering her a weak smile. _Weird._

She shrugged and said, "Blake." She gave him a pleasant smile and before realizing she had dropped her book. She reached for it, but the boy got there first.

To her abject horror, he began to read the cover.

"H-hey!" She began. He studied the cover, and his eyes lit up in... recognition?

"Ninjas of Love? Original edition? I thought they only had this in—" He stopped and paled.

 _Wait._ "You— you know it?"

He looked back at her, slowly realizing what he was holding. He jumped backwards and dropped the book like a hot potato. "No! I don't!" His response was immediate— far too much so.

"You read smut!" She accused.

"What!? This book is yours!"

"Still! You read— mmph!" Jaune reached out and desperately clamped at her mouth. She snarled and reached for Gambol Shroud before realizing the look in his eyes were not of aggression.

It was fear.

"You can't tell _anyone_!" He hissed, his eyes scanning the area in panic. Thankfully, no one had really noticed. "If people find out I read smut... oh gods..." He moaned and released her, placing his hands on his face. "I'd be ruined!"

Blake couldn't help but feel amused. It made sense now— this... Jaune was a celebrity— his reputation mattered greatly. If people found out that their idol was actually a closet pervert? It would be a scandal, to say the least.

"Your fans?"

"No, my sis—" He froze and looked at her, a bead of sweat now having formed on his cheek. "Uh, yeah, my fans."

Her smile was quickly wiped off, though, when Jaune went on the offensive. "B-but! You read smut too! You're no better than I am! You— you own a vintage version! Only real enthusiasts have that! It costs a fortune!"

"Wouldn't you know?" She quipped. "I have nothing to lose."

"Really?" He raised his eyebrow before raising his voice. "Hey, Blake here rea—"

This time it was Blake's turn to dive and clamp her hands on Jaune's mouth. He fell backwards with an oomph, but his expression was one of triumph. "Psh... nothing to lose. You probably have all sorts of terrible secrets."

 _Ouch._ Not that he knew, of course, but that hit harder than he knew. Not that it mattered right now— it was negotiation time. "Okay. Look— we keep each other's secrets, and that's that, okay?"

Jaune looked straight at her for a second before nodding. "Y-yeah."

She paused, hesitant, before taking the risk. "You don't happen to have any... material right now, do you?"

His eyes sparkled. "Do I?" He proceeded to take out a box— an actual wooden box, with locks and all, and lo and behold, it was filled to the brim with smut novels— some of which she recognized, some of which were more obscure. _Holesome Adventures... The Journeys of a Plumber... A Samurai's Struggles..._ Her cheeks flushed. Some of these were exclusive editions, too!

"You have... quite the collection." She admitted. She would have killed for this kind of merchandise. "C-can I?"

He nodded. "Sure."

 _So many to choose from!_ She marvelled.

Blake didn't exactly remember when she had first begun her... unusual reading habits, but she loved her books with a passion. They were outlet— her escape. Sadly she had left all of them but one behind when she had left Adam, and there was no way she could return.

Hell, she loved smut, but not more than her life.

She picked out a sparkling blue novel— a recent edition of Ninjas of Love, and sighed in content as she opened the book and began to read.

They sat there for the longest time, lost in their own worlds, furiously reading. Blake was just getting into a good part when Yang... the loud girl from earlier, sauntered towards her. _Damn it... Yui and the Samurai were just getting into it!_

"Hey Blake! Hey Vomit Boy!"

Vomit Boy? She glanced at Jaune, raising an eyebrow. He slumped over, book hidden behind his back in a clearly practiced move as he groaned. He spotted her looking and sighed. "Don't ask."

Yang looked at the two of them. "Huh. Never would have guessed you two would be hanging out." _What was that supposed to mean?_ Yang must have caught her confused expression, because she explained. "Jauney here's a little... awkward." He let out a gawk of protest, but who did he think he was fooling? He hadn't been able to talk to her for more than a few seconds without stuttering.

"You, meanwhile, are..." Yang paused, as if contemplating something. "Huh. I guess you being you gets rid of the need for conversation. It's a perfect fit!"

 _What the hell was wrong with this girl?_ Yang had been mediating a fight between the Schnee brat and this diminutive little girl in red, but it had quickly become apparent to her that she was more cheering them on rather than stopping the fight. Blake, as usual, had gotten mixed up in the unfortunate affair.

"Soooo..." Yang waggled her eyebrow suggestively. "What you reading, Blake? She swiped the book from her and read the cover. Ninjas of Love: Christmas Special?"

"N-nothing! It's— about ancient Mistralian warriors. For... history."

Yang looked at her questioningly. "Really? Preparing for classes already?" She opened the book, and quickly dodged when Blake lunged for it. The bombshell moved with surprisingly quickness and pinned her as she flipped to the middle of the book. Jaune had already resigned himself to his fate, and had crawled in to a fetal position.

"Yui panted as the man's large hands began to smother her. The hands were rough with calluses but they moved with surprising softness... a sensuality the likes of which she had never ever experienced, sending waves of pleasure through her." She read aloud, without even a hint of embarrassment. Blake saw some boys choke.

Yang looked at her with an evil grin. "History, eh?" There was an amused glint in her eye, which quickly evolved into a shit-eating grin. "You like reading porn!"

"I do not!" She shrieked. "It's an acquired taste! Art!"

"Oh?" Yang looked at her mischievously before turning to Jaune. "So, champ. What do you have to say about your friend's _deviant_ reading habits?"

Blake glared at Jaune. "Yeah, Jaune. What do **_you_** have to say?" _Let's see how you like it, huh?_

Jaune gulped, his face turning white. "Uh... I'm disappointed in you Blake. Real disappointed." He turned to hide his guilty expression and quietly put his own book away. He shut his box, sliding it away from Yang's view.

 _Traitor,_ she hissed internally.

Yang laughed and patted Blake's shoulder. "It's kay, Blake. We won't judge too much. Just a little bit." She flashed her a knowing smile. "We all have needs, don't we? In this case, some sick, twisted—"

Jaune slammed his fist down on the ground. "Yang!" He fixed her a glare, which was surprisingly intimidating. "Let's, uh, respect Blake's unusual tendencies. I think we should do her that favor, no?"

"Oh, come on!" Yang raised her arms in despair. "Can't you let me have _some_ fun milking this? She's a closet pervert! You're delusional if you think I'm letting this go." She giggled and handed Blake the book. "Enjoy your... _learning_ , Blake."

She sauntered away, looking back once and winking at her. Blake groaned before punching Jaune's shoulder with her coveted item. "Thanks a lot. Whatever happened to keeping each others' secrets?"

"H-hey. Desperate times call for desperate measures. It's not like I told her you were reading smut! You were just... uncautious."

She glared at him before huffing. "Don't expect to get away with this. You owe me for that. I could have told her at any moment, and she for sure would have had a field day with the knowledge that you read perverted books."

His cheeks flushed as he nodded in acknowledgement. "Yeah, yeah. You want access to my books?"

"Uh huh." Ah... bargaining from the position of power. It was... refreshing.

Jaune sighed in defeat. "Fair enough. I- I guess I do owe you for covering my ass there." He reopened his box and gestured to her. "Take them when you want them. Maybe our rooms will be close enough for that later. You confident you can get through initiation?"

She thought for a moment. She wasn't like any of these other students in a sense— she hadn't received official _training_ , but experience was the best teacher. She doubted she would have had any trouble with most of the people in this hall. She probably couldn't beat Jaune— even she had heard a few things about him, but getting past initiation? That couldn't be too hard. It wasn't like they were being dropped off a cliff or something— it was probably just an obstacle course.

"Yeah... fairly confident, I guess. I wasn't really given official training like you probably were. I'm from... a backwater settlement of sorts, and so I've had time to develop my own, unique style. It's not traditional, but it works. I think I could take most of the people here, albeit not head on."

Jaune raised his eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Well, let's just say I don't fight the usual way. If I see you tomorrow during initiation, you'll see."

Jaune hummed. "Fair enough. But you enjoy it?"

 _Fighting?_ Blake mused. She didn't _enjoy_ it, per se, but she supposed there was a certain thrill to it. An appeal. But to her, fighting had always been a task, a mission. It had been a means— not an end. "I don't know about enjoy, but I guess I'm comfortable enough with it. It isn't a hobby of mine, though."

"I see." Jaune looked conflicted. "Fighting is sort of the only thing I'm good at. I guess it's sort of second nature for me."

Made sense, Blake supposed, given he was a top competition fighter. His regimen probably existed only of training and preparing. "So you like it?"

Jaune's eyes lit up with uncharacteristic excitement. "I wouldn't have done it for so long if I didn't. I never feel as confident as I do when I battle. I-I'm sort of terrible with everything else, but when I fight, all of that washes away. Even talking about it gets me pumped up." He looked at her apologetically. "S-sorry. I must seem like a barbarian to you. Liking to fight more than talking. It's just... er, I'm not so good at talking."

She gave him a soft smile. "You don't seem barbaric. Talking isn't my forte either." She was surprised to admit that talking to Jaune had been fairly nice, however. He did have a certain charm to him, although it certainly wasn't what she had been expecting. Weren't competition fighters, especially those used to the spotlight like Jaune, supposed to be suave and charismatic? Jaune was quite the opposite— a bumbling mess— but he had managed to coax more words out of her in an hour than she usually spoke in a week.

"Well, it was nice talking to you, Jaune. I'm going to get some sleep." She handed the book back to him and laid back as the lights slowly faded.

Beacon hadn't been what she had expected so far, but the people seemed to be okay, she supposed. Yang was loud and rambunctious, but she was nice enough. Harmless. She shared a hobby— a wrong one, but a hobby nonetheless, with Jaune.

Adam would have scoffed at her two new 'acquaintances.' Maybe she was so used to being on the run, blowing up things, and clandestine meetings that normal things were foreign to her. It _had_ been a while since she had had a normal— or relatively, normal conversation. No one could mistake that that interaction had been completely mundane, but at least it wasn't about an ambush on the SDC. It was a nice change.

 _I could get used to this._

* * *

Glynda Goodwitch watched as the students filed through the hallway, looking like zombies as they trudged towards the washrooms. She had gotten used to the sight, of course— it came from years of being Deputy Headmistress. The morning of Initiation was a dreaded time for students, but for her? She had to _watch over_ hundreds of potential students, and couldn't blink an eye just in case students engaged in some... _illicit_ behaviors.

She had scoffed at the idea as a new employee when Ozpin had told her of a few 'incidents' in the past. These were the future heroes of Remnant— pinnacles of maturity, the best of the best. Surely they would not allow their... _hormones_ to get the best of them.

How wrong she was.

She shuddered as she recalled the first night. The sounds... the screams... it had been far more traumatizing than any battle she had had with Grimm. The absolute _audacity_ of some students! In— in a public place, no less! She had administered discipline harshly, and since then, she had become the terror of Beacon Academy. A reputation that she had begrudged at first, but now? Now, it was a necessity.

This year was proving to be quite the interesting one— Ozpin had personally ensured the entrance of one Ruby Rose— the irresponsible girl who had gotten into a whole bunch of trouble against the criminal Roman Torchwick. She sighed. It was just like Ozpin to insist that she be allowed in— two years early, even. Of course, _she_ had been the one to field an angry call from Taiyang Xiao Long. The man was entirely too defensive of his daughters.

It was no doubt, however, that the potential students were talented. She spotted Jaune Arc, who, despite not looking anything like a seasoned warrior— was a prodigy. He lagged near the end of the pack, his eyes dead with fatigue. Yet she knew better than to judge him on his first appearance; she had personally seen some of his battles, and he had the makings of a fine Huntsman. Furthermore, he lacked the... pompousness of some competition fighters— individuals far too obsessed with the aesthetic quality of their combat. No, Arc— for lack of a better word, was an _ugly_ fighter. He was vicious and brutal— and while it looked harsh and unrefined at times, he had bested many warriors.

Yes, the talent pool this year was good, but they lacked an edge. An edge that she would impart on these students after four years at this fine institution.

She smiled at the thought, and as the last of the students shuffled out of the hall, she felt herself pulse with a familiar excitement.

Initiation had come.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey everyone! First off, I want to thank you all for your support for the previous two chapters. I really appreciated the feedback and would love if you guys could continue to share your thoughts.**

 **I hope you guys enjoy Chapter 3!**

* * *

Chapter 3- Diving In

"Damn... 636? 626?" Jaune sped from locker to locker in panic. "I _know_ I should have just kept my equipment with me!" Initiation would begin soon and he was completely screwed if he couldn't find his armor and Crocea Mors. Not to say he wasn't any good at hand to hand combat, but punching straight through Grimm was not his favorite way to kill them. Nor, he hoped, was that anyone's favorite way of killing them.

Then again, who was he to judge? It was just that he didn't prefer the rather ominous sounds that punching a Grimm to death made.

"646!" He sighed in relief as the button glowed green. He swung open the locker. "Thought I had lost you, old buddy." He reached in and took out his armor— full body and of Atlesian design— one that he had been gifted personally by Atlas after he performed in a show match at one of their Specialist Galas.

He personally wasn't a fan of Atlas— especially their bureaucrats, but he had to admit they knew how to make armor. It was more of a suit than a chestplate, in fact, and he had begrudgingly admitted it was far superior to anything he had ever donned before. It was light— woven with Dust rather than made with metal, and had remarkable resilience, allowing him to shrug off a few hits before starting to take serious damage.

Plus, while Jaune had never been a stickler for looks, he had to admit it looked pretty good on him, accentuating his muscles and figure.

There were very few things Jaune could pull off aesthetically. He would take what he could get.

Still, classics were classics, and he had Crocea Mors to remind him of that. Mechashift, recoatings, and treatment had changed its exterior, but at the end of the day, it was still the thousand year old blade his ancestors had used in battle. He let the blade rest in his hands for a bit, enjoying the cool feel of it. Sometimes he felt as if his grandfather could talk to him through the blade, whispering words of advice and wisdom. It was why he had rejected hundreds of other weapons in favor of his ancestral one.

He strapped on his armor, letting it curve downwards as it fit into his body. He sheathed Crocea Mors and attached the sheath to his legs, letting it fall casually to his knees.

A strange sense of calm swept over him as he looked at himself in the mirror. _Okay, Jaune. Time to show them what you're made of._

"Excuse me?" A voice, refined and regal, spoke up from behind him.

He turned to see a gorgeous girl— snow white hair and icy eyes— one of them marked by a scar— looking at him. "My name is Weiss Schnee."

 _A Schnee? In Vale? Why though?_ "Uh, hello Ms. Schnee. My name's Jaune. Jaune Arc. Sweet, short, and rolls off the tongue. Ladies love it." _Hehe. Classic._

He thought he could see Blake watching him from the distance. She facepalmed.

Weiss laughed, but it was all too contrived— he knew, because he was a master of it himself. There were pretty weird people in the competitive battling industry, and he often had to put on an act to gain sponsors or support. It was less than awesome, but it garnered him important endorsements.

"Well, Mr. Arc, I'm quite aware of your accomplishments as a competitive fighter. I must congratulate you on your achievements. I'm quite the fan."

"R-really? Well, uh, just call me Jaune. Mr. Arc's sorta, you know, too professional for me."

Weiss opened her locker, which coincidentally was next to his. She took out her own weapon, which seemed to be a rapier— Multi Action Dust, clearly, by the look of its chambers. Well made, too, although he guessed a Schnee would be able to afford the best of the best. It design was sleek, elegant, and colorful. While Jaune preferred Crocea Mors' thicker, more powerful blade, he could respect the grace of a well designed MADR.

"I will address you as such if you wish. I must say, Jaune, I feel that we would make a good team. I have already found another suitable individual for a teammate, but I am quite enamoured with your respectable battle prowess and think that our cooperation could be very fruitful."

 _Yes! She's asking me to be on her team! Finally, something going my way._ "You think so? Sounds—"

He froze, and not from Ice Dust. Weiss had taken a small hand mirror out of her bag. To his horror, the hand mirror had a small sticker attached to it. One that he knew _all_ too well.

She seemed to notice the subject of his attention, and laughed. "Ah, yes. I am a proud member of the Jaune Arc fan club! A high ranking one, too!"

He paled. _Jaune Arc fan club... Jaune Arc fan club... Jaune Arc fan club..._ Her voice echoed. The Jaune Arc fan club was the single most terrifying group he had ever met. Screw White Fang— they were zen pacifists compared to the JAFC. Screaming girls (and guys) who went crazy over a media appearance.

Not the kind of crazy where they screamed at his battles. He could deal with that. The kind of crazy that made you want to crawl beneath your bed and hide.

He had once seen some members auction off a _**pair of underpants**_ he had supposedly worn for about five hundred lien. It was a fake— there was no way anyone could have obtained it! _At least, that's what I tell myself._ He had read their forum posts, in which they analyzed every little piece of his behavior and clothing from every public appearance. There was even a post titled " _Jaune's eyelashes_." Last he checked, it had more than five hundred contributors. They had once gotten into a street brawl with one of his rivals' fans, and fifty or so people had gotten arrested.

He had once nearly been kidnapped by them— they had hired a fake limo after one of his battles to take him away. Another time, a JAFC member had broken into his house. She had been hiding in his _OWN ROOM_. He had woken up at some unholy hour to find her snuggling in the bed with him.

Jaune was desperate for friends, and especially a romantic relationship, but he wasn't _that_ desperate.

He had heard rumors of the JAFC organizing cult like meetings before his battles, praying to some unknown deity to grant him luck in his next bout.

That this Weiss girl, this Schnee, was a member of the JAFC? High-ranking, no less?

She was clearly mentally unstable. _Sure, I could use more friends. Weiss is so pretty, too... But not like this. The JAFC cannot be touched._

As far as he knew, she probably was responsible for some _**crazy**_ shit.

"Jaune?" Oh gods, he could see it now. There was an unnatural glint to her eyes— the telltale signs of a rabid JAFC member, ready to pounce. He had to run.

"Uh- well, n-n-nice meeting you! Byeeeee!" He dashed out of the locker rooms, flooding his lower body with Aura to increase his speed. He looked back to see Weiss with a completely shell shocked expression on her face. It was all a ruse, a trap.

He knew all too well.

"Hmph! How rude. No matter. I will personally seek him out after acquiring Pyrrha as a partner." She huffed and shut her locker before looking at herself in the mirror. She sighed in content. Perfect as always. Nothing else could be accepted.

 _What had been the Arc's problem? Did I do something wrong? I had made several routes of potential conversations and that was not one I had created a contingency for. Was he repulsed by me? Did I come on too strong? Had he made an appointment he needed to go to?_

She sighed. She would be able to ask him when they landed on the same team. Team Weiss. A Schnee got what a Schnee wanted. He had seemed polite enough before his... departure— not a sycophant, at least. He would make a good teammate— she a good leader, someone who would create an environment conducive to great success. That all hinged on her appointment to leader, of course.

 _I guess there's no need for this then. I would have thought being a casual admirer would have helped my cause. I'll just have to do it my own way._ She wasn't _actually_ a member of the fan club, of course, although she did admire his work. A Schnee wasn't a "fan." Schnees were admirers, patrons, and sponsors. She looked at the sticker, which oddly enough, seemed to be shaped like a pair of male undergarments. She shook her head. Surely an illusion of some kind. She hastily ripped it off and threw it into the trash can. What a waste— it had cost quite a lot.

* * *

"Nonononononononono... No!" Jaune screeched to a halt at the grassy cliffs of Beacon.

 _What the heck?_ Ruby stared at him as he panted, hunched over and shaking. "You okay, Jaune?"

He glanced at her, and she yelped. His eyes were wild, like a feral animal— Zwei had looked like that when they had first adopted him from a shelter. He studied his surroundings for a few moments before he relaxed. "Safe now. H-hi, Ruby."

"Safe from what?"

"Nothing." He responded, far too quickly. Usually Ruby would have been all over his case, but she was too nervous to give him grief over it. After all, it was initiation!

Ruby was a good Huntress-in-training. At Signal, she was the best, if not the best, student— but only in her year! She sparred against Yang from time to time, but she just couldn't keep up with her strength and endurance. Two years _were_ a lot of time. What if... what if Ozpin had been wrong about her? What if she needed to go back to Signal?

Jaune must've noticed her odd expression, because he patted her on the shoulder. It was a strangely comforting feeling. "Don't worry, Ruby."

"H-huh? I'm not worried! Why would you think I'm worried? I'm completely at peace. It's like my Dad says! If you try your best, you'll have no regrets! I'm ready for—"

She gasped as he put a finger to her lips. "W-what?"

"Ruby— you told me Ozpin brought you here _two years early_. That means you're something special. I've heard a lot of things about Ozpin, but... he's a wise man. He must've seen talent— or at least great potential." He paused, and Ruby was taken aback by how wise he looked for a moment. "For what it's worth, I haven't seen you battle, but I think that you'd make a great Huntress. You said you wanted to become one to protect people— that's admirable. I think that already speaks volumes about how strong you are." Jaune finished, his face slightly flushed, but nonetheless with an edge to it.

"Y-you didn't stutter." Ruby teased, jabbing an elbow at Jaune. Suddenly his confident demeanor faded, and he yelped.

"Ow, Ruby." He put on a mock hurt look before raising an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Well, it's just you suddenly seemed all professional and..." Her face scrunched up for a second, trying to find the right word. _Knightly? No, that isn't a real word. Or was it?_ "Knight-ish. Heh."

Jaune's smile widened, before becoming slightly contemplative. "Ahh— I see what you're saying.. For me, talking to people about strength, fighting, battle... s-stuff like that gets me all pumped up. It's, uh, cathartic."

"Cathartic?" Ruby tested the word on her tongue but frowned when it was unfamiliar.

Jaune chuckled. "It means it gets rid of your stress."

"That's great, Jaune! It's good to have, like, a stress-relief thingy." Ruby's face brightened. "For me, there's eating. Cookies, especially. I like weapon maintenance, too. That's— that's catarhic."

"Cathartic."

"Whatever." _Stupid spelling._ Yang had never been a stickler for writing— probably because she was pretty terrible at it as well, but shouldn't she have taught her better? It was just like Yang to not fulfil her responsibilities as an older sister. This was Yang's fault.

 _Huh. Feels like a lot of the things that are wrong with me are Yang's fault._

That was a debate for another day, though, and Ruby looked to the other students, who were nervously filing onto the grass. A few students even approached Jaune and asked for an autograph. Ruby imagined her Semblance was laser eyes, and she burned holes through every chatty girl that came and shyly asked for a signature. When the conversations got too long, she would very _subtly_ steer them away. She could tell, as Jaune began to fidget nervously when a conversation went downhill. It was almost sad— was this how Yang felt everytime? Jaune was _**so**_ bad at talking— even though it was really obvious he wanted to talk, and make good conversation.

"Hey, Headmaster Ozpin says he wants to speak to you!" She exclaimed, pushing one crazy girl away from Jaune. "You should go talk to him. Byeeeeee!" They yelped as she maneuvered them with unnatural strength.

Jaune shot her a grateful look as she shepherded the girl in some random direction. _Heh. We're the perfect team!_

"Thanks." He muttered.

"No problem!" She grinned cheerily, before pondering. "But, Jaune— shouldn't we be trying to get better at conversation? We need to learn how to talk good." After all, Ruby liked having friends! She liked talking with friends, too— it was just that the part about making them was sooo difficult.

Sometimes she referred to movies Yang forced her to sit through, but it was all so blurry. One moment they're at each other's throats and the next, they're inseparable? Where was the in-between? Where was the step-by-step guide on how to make good friendships?

Jaune seemed to consider her point for a moment. "You're right." He scratched the back of his neck, laughing nervously as he did so. "Maybe we could find someone to teach us? Or we could do some research, I don't know, like in the library?"

 _Ugh. Research. Boring._ She forced her to plaster on a smile and nodded. "Y-yeah. Sure." Boring research projects could wait for later.

They turned to see the last of the students finally reach the Initiation cliffs, and Ozpin made his way to the front. He walked with the confidence of a true Huntsman, a gait strong and lively yet withdrawn in a dangerous way. It was the look of someone who, despite looking amicable and harmless, could kill without a moment's hesitation. His cane, in a shortened form, was attached to his hip.

 _A cane? That's so boring! Unless, maybe, it turns into a bazooka. Or a sniper rifle! Sniper rifle plus cane would be the coolest._

As Ozpin began to give directions for Initiation, Ruby scanned the cliffs. She saw Yang in the distance, cocking Ember Celica. Yang's eyes met hers and waved at her excitedly. Behind her was the terrifying monster that was apparently called 'Weiss Schnee.' Ruby didn't know much about her, but she was supposedly from Atlas and really rich. She also _really_ didn't like Ruby.

 _Hooray, friendship._

Seriously, was that _**really**_ her fault? Why was she carrying around so much Dust in the first place? Also, she should have taken extra caution as well! And— and even if it _was_ her fault, she said sorry! Sorry meant that you had to forgive a person, unless it was something really really bad, and she was fairly confident blowing up someone's Dust and creating a crater was not really really bad. Only moderately bad. Sort of. _Point is, Weiss is scary. Run away from her!_

Weiss had even proven immune to her final trick up her sleeve! Puppy eyes! It always paralyzed Dad, Qrow, and Yang. They were magic eyes! That was probably why Ozpin had said something to her about her eyes. Her eyes had the power to ensnare anyone into her grasp.

Except Weiss. Because she was scary.

Suddenly she was alerted to reality by gasps around her, followed by protests. Jaune muttered a bad word under his breath.

"Now, now settle down, students. I understand this may be somewhat unorthodox." Ozpin shot Professor Goodwitch a glare as she coughed uncontrollably. "Even for me," he conceded. "However, as future heroes of Remnant, you must be able to adapt to situations of hardship and difficulty. Even if you and your partner do not mesh very well from the beginning, your cooperation is an inevitability. I suggest you make do with what you have. That said, the policy of first eye contact determining your partner will, under no circumstance, be changed."

 _FIRST EYE CONTACT!?_

* * *

"B-but... I have to partner up with Yang! Or at least you!" Ruby exclaimed, beads of sweat starting to form on her forehead.

"Ruby, relax. I'm sure you'll find a great partner." Truth to be told, Jaune was anything but relaxed. _Fuck. Random partners? That could lead to an apocalyptic scenario. What if it's that crazy Weiss girl?_

Then again, it could be a completely normal person! Ruby would be awesome. Blake would be a good partner, too. He was pretty sure they were on decent terms, although Blake was a bit of an enigma. Even if it wasn't someone he knew, chances were that he would meet someone normal, right? At the very least, a potential friend. Hell, who was he to decline a new companion?

 _Except the Weiss girl,_ he reminded himself. _Anyone but her_.

"Who am I kidding," Jaune grumbled, covering his eyes with his hands and moaning. "I'll probably somehow end up without a partner or something stupid like that."

This time it was Ruby's turn to comfort him, and she patted him on the back. "You'll be fine too, Jaune. I mean, come on, aren't you like the super good fighter and all?"

"That's not what I'm worried about, and I think you know that, Ruby!" He groaned.

Ruby giggled. "Weren't you just promising me that I'd find a good partner?"

"Touché," He tilted his head. "But let's just say I have a knack for screwing up things. With my luck, I'll probably—"

"Nope." Ruby said, popping the 'p'. She puffed her chest out.

"Nope?" He asked, confused.

"Nope." Ruby confirmed, an uncharacteristically sage-like look on her face. It made for a rather unsettling visage. "What was the reason you came and helped me?"

"Strangers are just friends you haven't met yet?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. With— with that kind of menta— mentality," she stumbled over the word, "You're gonna have a good time making friends. I know for sure. People will see you for who you are, I promise."

 _Aww... Ruby's too nice. Pretty wise too, I suppose._ "T-thanks Ruby. Sheesh, I thought you were the one two years younger than all of us."

Ruby pouted childishly. "Hey! I'm fifteen, not seven. I can be wise from time to time."

Jaune laughed. "Yeah, yeah. I know. Anyways, I'll talk to you— WHOA!" He stopped mid-sentence as he was vaulted into the air by the platform below him. One moment he was standing and having a conversation with Ruby, the next he was Bird-man. "What the hell!?" He screamed, spittle flying out of his mouth. Of course, no one could hear him because he was flying. Whose genius idea was this?

Ruby's expression was one of horror as he sailed away. "Jaaaauuunnneeeee!" He heard her yell.

The wind howled in his ear, slapping at him irritatingly. It was the kind of annoyance that your Aura didn't bother to block, but still stung slightly. His eyes began to dry up against the wind. He was fairly sure he was also beginning to drool, but hoped that it was his imagination.

In the distance, he could see others being thrown in the air in a similar fashion, doing fancy spins and cartwheels. Jaune had never been the acrobatic type, but maybe he could try to emulate something like that? He scanned the forest for a suitable tree, which was rapidly approaching.

"Oh, gods." He muttered as the ground got closer and closer. He couldn't see anything that could work, or even really cushion his landing. Was he the only one who hadn't known being propelled into the _**flipping**_ air was part of Initiation? Was he supposed to have a landing strategy prepared? "I _**knew**_ I should have listened to Ozpin! He was probably handing out parachutes."

Realizing he was all but screwed if he didn't find a way out, he surged his arms and legs with Aura, allowing it to encompass his entire lower body. It hissed and crackled, glowing wildly as it channeled downwards. _Hell, if I do this properly, I can probably do a superhero landing. The perfect landing strategy— just landing!_ He braced for impact, prepared to come down on one knee, an imitation of his favorite X-Ray and Vav scene.

Instead, he was met with dirt.

"Ow! Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow." He yelled as he barreled through the ground. "Fuck. Ow."

He lay there for a moment, the smell of freshly dug up earth surrounding him. He was faintly aware that his entire body was slightly singed.

He got up and surveyed the damage he had done.

"What on Remnant..." He slapped his palm against his face. "Great going, Jaune."

He was... in a meter deep crater with a two hundred meter radius. Trees all around him were flattened and uprooted, while the grass had simply been _**incinerated**_ off the ground. Jaune had never been one to really flaunt his power, so he didn't really know his limit, but he was fairly sure he hadn't been able to create craters through landing before.

In the distance, he heard a rustle— another student, hopefully. If it was Grimm, he would have to make do. Jaune hoisted himself out of the crater with a grunt before unsheathing his blade, admiring its glimmer in the harsh rays of the sun. He slid his thumb down to the hilt and hesitated before deciding against mechashift for the moment— it would be better to have close combat options in the forest.

He took one last look at the utter destruction he had left in his wake, and sighed before walking into the embrace of the forest. "Tch... and I thought Ruby was Crater Face."

* * *

Ozpin watched as the last of the students landed in the Emerald Forest. Thankfully, none of them were injured or dead. He hadn't really prepared for a situation in case that would have happened. Then again, Ozpin wasn't really the 'preparing' sort of guy. He found it... 'restrictive.'

"Sir, if I may— was Arc's landing something you had forseen?" His deputy spoke hesitantly, still pale from having watched the teenager dive headfirst into the ground, creating a massive crater that even he could see from here. If he tried, he could make out wisps of smoke still rising from where he had presumably landed.

"Not the exact mechanism he employed, dear Glynda," He paused, trying to find a way to credit himself, "But I'm well aware of Mr. Arc's special abilities."

"Special abilities?" Glynda gave him a curious look. It was unlike Ozpin to withhold anything from her. He was the most transparent man she had ever worked with. "I am aware he has a large Aura pool— and a Semblance that gives him greater control."

Ozpin chuckled, his mirth visible. "Glynda— even a Semblance cannot grant you that much Aura control. Mr. Arc has certain abilities that— even if it were not for his outstanding combat prowess, I would have taken notice of." His face took a strangely serious turn, and he leaned into Glynda. "He is rather integral to our... other plans."

Glynda's eyes widened. "You mean?"

"Yes," He nodded, deep in thought. "I have a specific partner in mind for him, and I have pulled a few strings to ensure their matchup. Mr. Arc is skilled, but his potential could develop him in ways the young man still has little concept of."

"I'm not sure if you're referring to mere potential or something of a more... ethereal nature." Glynda raised an eyebrow questioningly. "But I will keep an eye on his growth, if you'd like."

Ozpin sipped from his thermos, giving her a grateful nod. He let the warm sensation of coffee seep through him, alleviating the fatigue of yesterday. Coffee was an escapade, a brief distraction, but a good one— far more effective than cheap alcohol, although Qrow would have disagreed.

His Scroll beeped, notifying him of the first matchup having formed. He sighed in relief after reading the names. His plan had worked. Now he could sit back, relax, and watch as teenagers were forced to fight for their lives in a monster infested forest.

It was hard being Headmaster of Beacon Academy.

* * *

Pyrrha Nikos swiped through another Beowolf, effortlessly slicing into its flesh as it howled in agony. It dissolved nearly instantly, vaporizing as she continued her onslaught of destruction. In a way, it was methodical— the Invincible Girl attacked foes with a surgical precision, striking with the lethality of an assassin.

You didn't become the Mistral Regional Champion without such skill.

She hadn't found a partner yet, which had given her time to think— sadly she hadn't met anyone during Initiation who had really caught her attention. She _had_ met with Weiss Schnee, who had been rather upfront about her enamourment with her fame— which was a rather disappointing fact. Weiss had been polite— but she still was thrown off by her approach. She would have much preferred someone who wasn't even aware of her fame, although she supposed that was too much to ask.

But she had hopes for Beacon, big hopes. After all, it was a new start, a new beginning. She could make real friends, real bonds, and... maybe even a boyfriend?

She flushed in spite of her situation— was it too much to ask for? Sanctum had not really given her many opportunities for making romantic relationships— or platonic ones, for that matter. She had had many suitors, of course, but... she just wanted to be normal. Where was her time to feel teenage angst and have crushes? It had all been taken from her in favor of her accomplishments.

There were Grimm near— she could sense them; it came naturally after years of training. She inhaled and exhaled, letting the misty forest air envelop her. It was strangely relaxing, purging her thoughts and worries.

She stiffened. Grimm approaching. An Ursa roared as it charged towards her through the bush, flailing wildly with its arms outstretched. She converted Milo into a rifle and shot into its abdomen before cartwheeling to the side, narrowly avoiding its thrashing blows.

She put on a confident smile as she got into battle stance once more. Milo whirred into javelin form, glinting as it extended. The Ursa let out a feral cry as it slammed into a tree before getting back up and charging. She threw the javelin with fatal accuracy, impaling its chest.

She let her Semblance run through her fingertips to retrieve it before swinging backwards at another Ursa, this one an Alpha. Milo barely scratched it, but it flew backwards and disintegrated immediately. It had been hit by something else.

She looked back but could only see shrubbery and dense trees. Her heart pounded. This would be the moment she would meet her partner for four years; in another sense, they would be her companion for life. She silently let out a prayer before stalking forwards, eager to meet her new partner. Especially one powerful enough to kill an Alpha so easily!

"Hello? I think we're supposed to pair up, you know." She chuckled. "I don't bite!"

There was silence, and then a rustle. "I don't think you want to be partners with me."

Her face fell. They probably didn't think they were good enough for her— but that didn't matter! In fact, she was happy that they weren't, at least, a crazy fan who would latch onto her. "Nonsense. I'm sure whoever you are, we'd be wonderful partners. You're very strong, too! Don't think you're not good enough."

"N-not good enough?" There was a pause. "Oh— oh yeah, that's what it is. Right. Uh, I'm not very confident with my skills and all. You would be better off with someone else."

"You one-shotted an Alpha Ursa!" It _was_ impressive, no matter what anyone said— it took great precision, strength, and timing to land such a hit. The blast had been as such— well aimed and clearly quite powerful, with a tinge of crackling white energy. She had had enough of her future partner's stalling. She could sense that they had metal armor— or at least partially metal, so she began pulling them towards her. She heard a yelp before sounds of struggling.

"Better off with someone else..." She smiled. "You should be more confident." There was only one person she had ever seen who could manipulate Aura like that— she knew it had taken relentless practice, skill, and also natural born talent— sadly she didn't get along very well with the other person, which had led her to develop a slight bad impression of Aura masters, but she pushed that aside. She had to be fair. First impressions were very inaccurate at times.

Her 'victim' appeared in the forest clearing, and her heart dropped.

Jaune Arc groaned as he lay there on the ground. "Told you you wouldn't want to be partners with me."

She had thought his attack had looked familiar.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey, welcome to Chapter 4! Thank you for your continued support and I hope you enjoy this chapter. It probably doesn't have** _ **every answer**_ **you were looking for, but I think that's for the better. In time, everything will be revealed.**

 **Please leave reviews if you can— like I said, I haven't planned out my entire story yet, and a large portion of it is also open to change. If you have an idea, or just a recommendation, I'd like to hear it.**

 **I did have some problems this chapter with integrating canon moments, but obviously there are going to be some different events as well. Plus, while the main premise for this piece is Jaune's increased power, there will be some slight alterations to other parts in the interest of making the story more unique and interesting.**

 **That said, enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 4- Birds and Bugs 

"Renny!" Nora yelled in delight as she swung her hammer around to send a Beowolf flying backwards. It hit a tree, causing it to explode into splinters, still crackling with wild bolts of electricity. "I'm here! I found ya!" She began to caw softly, curling her tongue in what sounded more avian than anything like a sloth. "Sloth sound, see?"

"I still don't think that's what a sloth sounds like, Nora." Ren responded.

She paused, no doubt some crazy fantasy coursing through her brain at insane speeds, before she reached over and gently tapped his nose. "Boop!"

 _Heh._ It was hard for him not to smile with her around, but he needed to restrain her _sometimes._ "Also, Nora, could we try to kill the Grimm a little quieter?"

"Hey!" She shook her finger. " _ **My**_ master plan worked! I saved you!"

 _It was worth a try, I suppose._ Ren watched her with an expression of someone who had given up long ago. "Yes, Nora. You did." Still, there was no ignoring the blooming of a warm feeling in his heart as she watched him stroll over to him, Grimm carcasses dissolving behind her. He was incredibly fond of her— although he would never admit it; Nora would go insane the day he did.

"We're partners, Renny! You and me!"

Ren smiled. It was a genuine one— he had been hoping dearly that they would be paired together. "I know. I'm happy too, Nora."

She engulfed him in a bone crushing hug, and he began to see stars. This was why he could not be affectionate with Nora. "N-Nora... Need... to... breathe..." He choked out desperately, clawing at her arms in a futile attempt.

"Whoops!" She let go of him, sending him sprawling onto the grass. "Sorry, Renny. I just got sooooooo excited! Did you find anything cool on the way?"

Ren got up, brushing his knees. He paused to consider what Nora would consider 'cool' before answering. "Yes. I killed a rather large King Taijitu, although I struggled a bit."

Her eyes widened before she clapped him on the back. "Great job! I'm so proud of you." She quickly re-removed the oxygen that had managed to find its way back into his lungs. He hacked and coughed before shooting her a glare that she completely missed. Sometimes he wondered if it was intentional.

"Ooh! Ooh! I was riding an Ursa but it broke. You shoulda seen it! Sorta sad it ran out of battery, though." She sniffed. Ren was always appalled at how genuinely sad she seemed when her 'favorite' Grimm died.

"And what was the name of this one?" He raised an eyebrow. "Danny?"

"George." She answered curtly, hopping once in place. She flashed him an easy smile. "Pretty obvious. C'mon, Ren. Danny is for medium sized Beowolves." She swatted at his head, giving him a 'gentle' love tap. Sadly, Nora's love taps were enough to send him reeling.

"Sure. Obvious, Nora." He deadpanned, clutching his stinging jaw. That one had actually taken a sliver out of his Aura. Her obscene strength was the reason why he never played thumb war with her.

He winced as he recalled the memory. _Focus, Ren. We must continue._ He cocked Stormflower. "There are more coming. We should head towards the Relics."

Turquoise eyes met pink, and they shined with excitement. "Oh boy." She switched Magnhild to grenade launcher form and fit a fire Dust grenade into it. "Time to make things go BOOM! Time for Nora Smash!"

Ren sighed. "Yes. Explosions— how pleasant."

"Renny, do you think maybe we'll find a really _**cool**_ Relic? I want to be Queen of the Castle!" Ren rolled his eyes. This was another one of Nora's very particular quirks— her obsession with being a 'Queen.' The fantasy usually involved his reluctant appointment to 'King.'

"I don't know Nora. How about we focus on finding these Relics, first." He intoned, before raising an eyebrow. "Do you know which way's North?"

She shrugged. "I dunno. You were always the one who, like, knew where to go."

 _Fair enough, I suppose._ "That way." He pointed in the direction of a particularly tall oak tree. "Let's get moving. Other pairs are probably on their way as well."

They moved through the trees, Ren having long given up on attempts to be stealthy as Nora began singing a hearty toon.

" _Ohhhhhhhh... Nora and Ren... two brave explorers..."_ She chanted, pumping her arms up and down. She stomped down with the force of Goliath. He was positive that she was massacring millions of insects and plants every time she brought her foot down.

" _Ooooooooh... they braved the jungle... swinging past fearsome foes..."_ Like most of Nora's made up, improvised song, it quickly lost any semblance of a melody or, for that matter, any musical component. It had become more of a rhythmic chant, scored by Nora's fearsome clapping and stomping. Ren wouldn't be surprised if she somehow triggered an earthquake. That was so... _Nora_.

" _Oooooooh... they were lost but not afraid!"_ A Beowolf popped out of the undergrowth, a young one, clearly, but nonetheless they were in a compromising position. Before Ren could react, Nora clicked Magnhild, the weapon whirring as it went back into hammer form. She fixed it like a golf club and swung at the creature. It howled as it flew away into the air, dissolving en route.

"That's a birdie for sure." Nora remarked.

Ren was speechless.

They walked in relative silence for approximately six point two seconds before she began jumping up and down again.

"Oh! Oh! Did you see what Jauney did!?" She made a 'kaboom' motion with her hand. "Kaboom!"

He had— and was rather impressed. He had heard of the knight's accomplishments as a fighter, but watching firsthand was a different experience. Especially if it took the form of said knight cannonballing into the ground head first, creating a gigantic crater. The amount of Aura— and the skill it took to manipulate it to that degree? It must have been incredible. Ren was one of the best his age when it came to Aura, and he could only dream of being able to perform those kind of feats.

"He promised us we'd be a team! Come on! Come on! Let's go find him!"

"Yes, Nora, after we find the relics. Right now we need to get through the forest. Also, there's no guarantee he won't end up on another team."

The bush in front of them rustled, and they tensed, readying their weapons.

This time, a Creep appeared, growling as it eyed the two of them. It was a grotesque sight, the inverted hindlimbs and the stubby front making for a very disconcerting image. "Renny! It's a creepy!"

"Creep." He corrected. "I'll take the flanks. Trap it with 1-2-1."

"Got it!" Nora aimed Magnhild, once again in grenade form, and she shot two canisters of electric Dust at the Creep. It howled in agony, but before it could dodge more hits, she surrounded it with activating explosives. It must have been older than it looked, because it seemed to sense that it could not leave its enclosed circle. "Aha! Trap!"

Ren, now having positioned himself perfectly on the top of a branch, swung down in a fluid motion before chopping off the Creep's head effortlessly.

"Hooray for friendship! Nora and Ren, do it again! Onwards!"

Ren resisted the urge to ask how decapitation in any form helped their friendship. They continued their trek, Ren easily jumping over the explosives. It was like second nature to him, now, because he had made the mistake of stepping on one once, and paid for it dearly.

Living with Nora led to a pattern of certain behaviors. There were things you should do, and things you shouldn't do. Should included pancakes and hugs, while _shouldn'ts_ involved... pretty much anything that had potential to be hazardous.

Ren let out a sigh of relief as the trees began to thin. Light flooded the two. In the distance, he could make out stone ruins, which were undoubtedly the home of the relics. He turned to Nora, who was dusting herself off after having killed a Ursa by riding it. "Please don't do that again."

"Awww..." Her eyes lit up as she saw the Relics, placed in the remains of a stone temple ahead. There were already some students there. "Relics! Relics! Ooh gimme gimme gimme!" She rushed off at supersonic speed, a blur of orange and pink, leaving Ren in the dust.

He jogged over to the temple to do damage control for Nora. As he did, however, he suddenly became aware of an ominous presence behind him. He turned to face one of the biggest Nevermore he had ever seen. It was a majestic yet terrifying thing— a grotesque beast. Its wings flapped, sending gusts of air towards them.

"Nevermore!" He heard a girl shout. He turned to see a blonde fire bullets at it from her... hands? He shook his head. Semblances were getting weirder and weirder.

It seemed that _normality_ was an unheard of concept at Beacon Academy.

Then again, he _was_ Nora Valkyrie's best friend.

* * *

"W-what are _you_ doing here!?" Pyrrha sputtered, her face turning into a crimson not unlike the rest of her outfit.

Jaune sighed. "Shouldn't I be asking you that? Why— why aren't you at Haven?"

Her face flushed even more, and she looked away. "I don't have to tell you that."

She was right— she didn't, he supposed, and when it became apparent that she wasn't going to help him up off the ground, he did so himself with a grunt.

He was about to ask her how she had manipulated his armor even when it was Dust woven, but realized it still probably had metal components. It went to show how strong her Semblance was.

They stood there like that for a moment, exchanging silent words in an electrifying gaze before Pyrrha cleared her throat. "We should get moving, J— Arc."

 _Tch. Last name?_ Instead of responding, he opted for gesturing, suggesting she lead the way. After all, wasn't that what Pyrrha wanted? To... to _lead_? The spotlight? He resisted the urge to sneer— probably because it would have looked nothing like what he wanted it to. Seriously, how did movie villains pull that off?

Pyrrha gave him a slight nod in acknowledgement. She stalked into the darkness of the trees, him close behind. She was clearly stiff— how could he not tell, when he had... no. Now was not the time.

She practically radiated anger and disappointment. The two marched forwards, Pyrrha with her chin jutting out, clearly displeased with the recent turn of events. She practically radiated disappointment and anger— waves of negative emotion rolling off her. At this rate, Grimm would flock to them in hordes. _Well, I'm not exactly jumping for joy either._

He would have lamented his luck, but it had already whupped him so many times that he had become numb. Seriously... Pyrrha of all people— and for some reason, she was here at Beacon and not Haven. Pah... wouldn't it be better at Haven? All the people and fans _fawning_ over the Invincible Girl. She would revel in her fame, as she always did. The stuck up, traitorous—

"I sense something." Pyrrha had stopped and taken out Milo. Despite the relative darkness of their situation, it glinted brightly, the reflection of dark green undergrowth on it. "Grimm."

Jaune sensed something too— a disturbance in his Aura, a dirty, murky presence in an otherwise pure field. He unsheathed Crocea Mors quietly.

"D-do the thing." He knew what she was talking about— an Aura wave, one that would alert them of the Grimm and act as a first line of both defense and offense. But he knew better than to give in to her demand like that. _Oh, I have to milk this._

He resisted the urge to pull a shit-eating grin and gave her a serious expression. "Do what?"

"You know what I mean!" She hissed, childishly stomping on the ground.

"No I don't." He said innocently. _Acting skills, please don't betray me now!_

"The... sensing thing." _Ah, there it was_.

"Oh. Could have just said it," he muttered, silently celebrating his victory before concentrating his Aura into the ground, letting it pulse outwards in waves of white energy, crepitating wildly yet... it had a _smooth_ feeling to it, visibly energizing the plants underneath it as it spread. When it hit the Grimm, of course, they would hear.

As if it were heeded, a piercing yowl ripped through the air before a pack of Beowolf came tumbling out of the trees, claws unsheathed. They had not come out of the Aura wave unscathed, as their dark pelts were sizzling, dark ichor oozing out.

Pyrrha immediately went to work, slashing at the Alpha Beowolf with a smooth, beautifully constructed attack. It was the picture of perfection— the kind of move that was demonstrated in combat manuals, but most could never hope to even echo. He had to admit there was some allure in watching her fight— it was restricted and restrained, yet it worked seamlessly, refined like oil and carved like diamond to become a product of true skill.

He had to do his part, however, and leapt at the two flanking Beowolves, lashing out at them in a vicious 360 before stabbing downwards, creating another wave to send them flying into the trees. He gathered Aura into small, glowing spheres of energy and propelled them, the energy hissing as it flew through the air in their direction. It would be a fatal hit.

He looked around to see more Beowolves coming their way. Pyrrha had already killed the Alpha and was moving on to another. A large one lumbered through the trees only to be blasted backwards by Milo's rifle form.

Jaune dodged the muzzle of another, its teeth bared in a ferocious manner. He slid downwards, underneath the belly, and raised Crocea Mors to carve its way through flesh. It began to dissolve before he got back up, but before he could catch his breath, three— these ones smaller and younger, pounced at him. _Shit._ He didn't like using so much Aura against just Grimm, but he didn't have a choice.

He clamped his hands together and created an Aura shield— a glowing dome of energy that the three beasts smashed against, howling in pain when their claws came up empty. Sometimes he had a hard time believing they were truly devoid of consciousness— they acted rather comic from time to time.

An Aura shield wasn't a panacea, though, as the Beowolves, although hurt, were not dead. His shields weren't _that_ strong... yet. He concentrated to thicken the walls before allowing the flow of energy to enter Crocea Mors. He lashed outwards, exploding the shield's walls outwardly. The trio of Beowolves, just getting up, were flown backwards, dissolving midair.

He grumbled in annoyance. Their numbers were thinning, but it seemed like the pack was rather large. Another jumped at him, so he delivered a crushing axe kick to it, sending it reeling, before he hooked and skewered it with Crocea Mors. He spun back in a smooth crescent to smash into another with his shield, roaring as he used the brunt force of the metal to crush its head.

They were all but gone, now. Pyrrha killed the last of them with a clean roundhouse kick and an executed flurry of blows to the abdomen of one poor Beowolf.

"Let's keep moving." Pyrrha uttered the words carefully as she wiped sweat off her forehead. "Hopefully we can avoid any more Grimm encounters."

 _Maybe if you stopped being so miserable,_ he wanted to say. Anyways, it was doubtful that they wouldn't meet any more Grimm, but another pack? Highly unlikely. He nodded in agreement and converted Crocea Mors into its machine gun form— a better option now that Pyrrha could cover short distance ambushes.

The gun whirred as the blade folded backwards to become the muzzle. The engineering of his weapon was a true work of genius— he still lacked a really comprehensive understanding of its mechanisms, but it really was an impressive thing. He rummaged in his knapsack for Dust canisters and found an electric one, before carefully placing it in the compartment.

He kept a five meter distance from Pyrrha, tensing every time she stopped to track their directions. For some reason, he felt like the Grimm kept coming from the back, much to his irritation.

"Stop," he gritted out. "Annoying me!" This Boarbatusk was particularly annoying, as the undergrowth made it hard to get underneath and deliver a killing blow. Instead, Jaune opted to jump and smother it under his Aura-boosted shield, smashing mercilessly at its head. It was practically rule of thumb not to attack Boarbatusk from above, but there was no other choice.

It let out a roar of pain as Jaune repeatedly smashed into its skull— if it had one, he imagined, and eventually collapsed, its head having crumpled under the pressure. Jaune wiped his hands and let out a sigh as he returned his shield to the sheath form.

Pyrrha gave him a perplexed look, no doubt put off with the way he had opted to kill the Grimm. She had always been a fan of the method of the book, rather than pure efficiency, so he wasn't surprised.

They reached another clearing, this time part of it obstructed by a large hill, covered in moss and boulders. There was a cave, too, wind softly blowing out of it in an ominous tune.

"Think we should go in?" He asked, initiating conversation for the first time in a while. "There _is_ wind in there. Maybe a way out? We could avoid more annoying Beowolves, too."

Pyrrha studied the opening of the cave, stalagmites rising ominously from the ground, jutting forward like the teeth of a beast. It was an unsettling image. "There still could be Grimm in there. Creeps... maybe even Petra Giga, if we're unlucky."

"I doubt it... the opening is far too small for any Geist-hosts we'd have problems with. Creeps are a nuisance but easier to kill than Beowolves, especially in a small space like this." He paused. "I say we go in. Not like there'd be a Death Stalker in there or something."

To his surprise, she smiled at his small joke, before quickly realizing who she was talking to. Her smile disappeared quicker than Ruby's Semblance. "Yes. You're right. Let's go in."

He clamped his hands together to create an organic lamp of sorts, illuminating the inside of the cave with a warm light. It was damp, the sort of humidity that made your skin crawl because you could almost _feel_ the water forming on your skin. He could make out the sounds of dripping water... _drip_... _drip_... _drip_... it was a hypnotizing sensation.

They walked for what felt like forever, before Pyrrha came to a sudden halt.

"There's something wrong..." Pyrrha muttered. She took out Akoúo̱, the shield clanging against the wall, sending a few pebbles falling onto the floor with a clack.

As she said it, he felt it too— again, the disturbance in his Aura, but this time larger. What could possibly be this powerful inside a small cave?

They continued to walk, now more warily, with their weapons drawn. Eventually, they saw something— cave drawings, intricate and beautiful. They depicted scenes of battle— against Grimm— Beowolves, Ursas, even a Death Stalker. They had used some kind of dye to paint the vivid scenes, but he was impressed.

Jaune wasn't a history lover by any means, but the paintings were undoubtedly breathtaking. "Wow. This looks like it should be in a museum." He muttered, running his hand over the walls. Just like when he touched Crocea Mors, he felt like there was a story behind it.

"Jaune!" Pyrrha gasped, in awe. A glowing yellow jewel was hovering above them. It was strangely mesmerizing, with an unnatural beauty to it as it swayed.

"Must be the Relic," Jaune muttered. Finally, some luck. They didn't even have to go that much north for it. He grunted as he leapt up and grabbed it, only to feel something pulling him upwards.

 _Uh oh._

"J-Jaune!" Pyrrha's face paled visibly, even in the meager light of the cave. "That's not the Relic!" She shrieked as the floor began to tremble beneath them.

 _Oh goody_. He dared to look at the source of this... this faux Relic— and instantly regretted it. Beady red eyes glared balefully back at him. Eyes, not as in two, but several— the signs of a Death Stalker. It was absolutely gargantuan, with deadly pincers and a worn shell, the bone plates scratched and scarred. It was clearly battle-hardened and experienced.

"Fucking hell!" Jaune yelled. "I jinxed it!"

* * *

Yang Xiao Long was a veteran of crazy.

There had been the time she had set their lodge in Patch on fire. Or the time she had set Zwei on fire, only to discover Zwei was fireproof. Also when she had accidentally burned her Dad's hair off with fire.

Huh. A lot of crazy came with her Semblance.

It had begun with watching Jaune be thrown into the air. She had expected the prodigy to have some fancy landing strategy— but it turned out he was _full_ of surprises. He had instead chosen to ferociously make out with the ground through impact... and somehow come out of it basically unharmed.

She was thankful for it, though, because it had given her great fodder for what she had deemed a 'legendary' pun. Her partner, Blake, hadn't seen it that way, but if she couldn't appreciate quality humor, then it was her loss.

"Did you see his landing, Blake?"

"Yes. I think it was hard not to."

"I guess you could say it had a great... _Arc_! Eh? Eh?"

Blake had looked like she wanted to strangle her with her weird ribbon thing.

Anyways... _**that**_ would have been her usual dose of crazy.

So she didn't expect to see, an hour or so later, two flying projectiles, shaped like Ruby Rose and Jaune Arc specifically, landing in a tree not a few hundred meters from where they were standing. They would be okay, but it was... not what she had been expecting.

The mysterious Blake Belladonna, hadn't looked the least bit surprised, but Yang was already convinced that Blake was actually a robot with Aura that Atlas had built, or something. _Like something out of the trashy sci-fi films Ruby likes._

Then, even worse, was how some girl with bright orange hair named Nora had come in riding an Ursa. Even Blake had seemed a little bit taken aback— or so she was hoping. Nora had then hurtled toward the ruins with a hammer that rivaled Crescent Rose in size. She had proceeded to declare herself 'Queen of the Castle' in a song. Her partner Ren was close behind her, and with some less desirable company.

A Nevermore.

What had really drove her over the edge was watching that icy Weiss girl hang from the claws of said Nevermore while Pyrrha Nikos ran from the largest fucking Death Stalker she had ever seen.

"What a day..." She groaned, running her hands through her hair, fixing a few loose strands. She couldn't afford to look bad on such an important one.

Blake took out her weapon... the ribbon knife thingamajig called Gamble Cloud, or something. Seriously, what was it with some people and their weapons these days? Her sister used an oversized gardening tool and her partner some pieces of fabric.

"Did that girl just run all the way here with a Death Stalker on her tail?" Blake asked with the most nonchalant voice in the history of Remnant.

"Raaargh!" Yang roared, her Semblance activating. "I can't take it anymore! Could everyone just chill out for two seconds before something crazy happens again?" She could feel the heat rolling off of her. Blake glanced up at her hair before shrugging.

Ren panted, out of breath, while Nora finished off her hearty tune about royal lineage. Ruby dashed over to them using her Semblance, somehow already okay after taking quite the fall.

"Yang! I- uh, accidentally may have left Weiss up there."

Blake muttered something that sounded like "Serves her right," but Yang probably imagined it. Emotion, even negative, was highly improbable from the Blake Belladonna v 1.0. She looked up, and saw Weiss, who was yelling something.

"I told her to jump..." Ruby grumbled angrily.

"She's going to fall." Blake glanced at Yang, who was slowly calming down.

"She'll be fine..." Ruby did look a bit uncertain, however— clearly trying to convince herself more than anyone else.

"She's falling." Ren said curtly.

Weiss plummeted through the air, screaming all the way, only to be saved by Jaune, who, in a move not unlike that of cheesy romantic movies, caught her bridal style. Yang would have said it was almost sweet if it weren't for Jaune taking one look at Weiss and screaming. He ran away from her, leaving her with an _oomph_ on the ground.

He really was an enigma.

She was lost in thought when Pyrrha Nikos landed at her feet, having taken a heavy blow from the Death Stalker's pincers. "Ow..." She muttered.

"Great, the gang's all here. Now we can die together!" Yang spoke, literally exuding sarcasm. "Cornered by a Death Stalker and a Nevermore."

"Make that _just_ a Nevermore." Ruby commented, watching as Jaune rushed towards the Death Stalker. "I'm going to help him!" She blasted off towards the beast at a blistering speed. Jaune was already taking the Death Stalker to town, somehow using his sheer strength to hit through the monster's exoskeleton. He landed blow after blow using his shield and sword— a traditional weapon, thank the gods. He managed to narrowly dodge each hit, in what could only have been through practice.

He fell back and began shooting at it with his weapon, now in machine gun form. It emitted a rattling sound as it relentlessly struck the shell of the Death Stalker.

 _I guess that's the skill of a Champion_ , Yang thought, before panicking as she watched Ruby try to land a hit on the Death Stalker. She knew for a fact that Crescent Rose lacked the veritable force that Jaune's weapon seemed to have.

As expected, the girl bounced off the exoskeleton. Yang ran to help her, but her heart sank as the Nevermore, now working together with the Death Stalker, shot down its black feathers at an incredible speed, stopping her from moving forward. "Ruby!" She screamed.

The Death Stalker's stinger hurtled toward the collapsed girl, Jaune diving toward her in a doomed attempt to save her. Yang blasted the feathers away using her Semblance, causing them to dissolve into ashes. She leapt towards Ruby, but knew it was too late. She closed her eyes.

Nothing came.

Suddenly she became acutely aware of cold— in fact, they were surrounded by chunks of ice, emanating a blue glow. "Tch..." Weiss clucked with her tongue. "So immature."

* * *

Jaune refilled his gun with another canister of Dust. Nora jumped up to him, a hand out expectantly. "Do you even need this?" He looked at her questioningly. Her hammer looked to be a grenade launcher— his canisters wouldn't help her.

She ignored his very reasonable question in favor of a not so reasonable request. "electric Dust, please!"

Realizing resisting would be more of a hassle, he gave up. "...Okay?" He reluctantly handed it over, mentally preparing himself for some weird shenanigan.

She giggled mysteriously before crumpling the canister with her bare hands. _What the!?_ Her eyes flashed blue as she sighed in contentment, jolts of energy coursing through her. "My Semblance! I can take electricity and it makes me stronger!" She dropped the canister when it was empty. "Needed a little boost there."

In the hopes of remaining sane, he didn't ask further and instead turned to the others, who were now gathered in a clearing. "What's the plan?"

"You tell me, Vomit Boy!" Yang teased. "I saw you take down that Death Stalker. Nice moves. Guess you're pretty cool when you're not in the air."

Internally, Jaune cheered happily. He had been pretty proud of his move— getting underneath the Death Stalker as one might do to a Boarbatusk, and slicing away at its legs. Once its support had fallen, Jaune had simply hit it again and again with Aura blasts from a distance. But there were more pressing issues than how his strategy had been cool, although he _was_ inordinately proud of himself. For one, his nickname, which was considerably less cool.

Jaune grumbled. "Vomit Boy... is that going to stick?" Not ready to turn his nickname into a full fledged debate, he pointed to the Nevermore, which was now circling above them, readying another attack. "We have more important things to worry about it. That thing's circling." It was probably fatigued from having unleashed the onslaught of razor sharp feathers, but it wouldn't be long before it went on the offensive again.

"The objective is to get the Relics. There's no sense in dilly dallying." Weiss pointed to the south. "We should make our way back to the cliffs."

Ruby nodded. "We don't have to face off against the Nevermore!" She held two Relics in her hand and handed Jaune one. He took it gingerly before looking back up at her with a raised eyebrow.

"O-okay. Still think we're going to have to fight it, though." He liked running and living, though, especially because it involved the latter.

The Nevermore shrieked— and he didn't need to have years of experience to know Grimm emitting sounds usually meant "I'm going to kill you" time.

"Let's go!" Nora yelled.

They ran, following Ruby's lead as she dashed forward, occasionally using her Semblance to scout for Grimm. He consciously made sure to stay away from Weiss. He shuddered. What if she thought him saving her was an invitation for something more?

He was shaken from his thoughts as the Nevermore approached. It began shooting down a fatal array of feathers once more. Each were at least taller than he was— and would have impaled him if it weren't for Yang pushing him out of the way. "Watch it, there." She laughed. "Got a girl on your mind?"

"W-what? Why's that the first thing you— whoa!" He rolled to avoid another projectile feather. "Assume?" he finished.

She grinned. "Ehh... you didn't deny it! Plus you're getting all red— that's as good as confirming it! She accused, her smile broadening.

"Stop distracting him, Xiao Long!" Weiss rebuked, wagging her finger. She pointed her rapier upwards and shot towards it with ice Dust, but it barely seemed to scratch their opponent. "The Nevermore's getting aggressive! Let's find cover here!"

The others yelled their agreement, as they were now in some kind of open field, with moss covered pillars strewn all over the ground. The group scattered— Jaune ducked under a collapsed wall, grateful for its temporary protection from killer birds. Blake followed him, her amber eyes flashing in panic as the Nevermore let out an ear piercing screech.

"We need to find a way to land meaningful hits," she mused. "Got an idea?"

 _This is crazy, but it could work._ "Y-yeah." He pointed to her weapon. "Can you use that like a sling?" She frowned, but nodded. "Alright. Let's find two pillars. Tie the ribbon around it— make it _secure_." He rushed out of cover to see Ren fire at it, only for it to unleash another salvo of arrow-feathers, forcing him to dive and get out of the way. Pyrrha rushed over to provide the boy cover.

"There!" Blake shouted. "Two pillars!" She pointed in the direction of Nora, who was, instead of getting out of the way of the sharp plumage, swatting at them with her hammer, to surprising amounts of success. The quills seemed to shatter upon contact, emitting a horrific noise.

They ran towards Nora. Jaune called out to her. "Get us cover, Nora!"

"You got it!"

Blake swung her weapon around the pillars, creating an impromptu sling, before realizing _what_ was probably going into the sling. "You sure about this?" She called, looking hesitant. "This could be dangerous!"

Before he could respond, the Nevermore let out another screech, this even more raucous than the previous. He winced as his ears rang before gesturing towards the monster. "We don't have time for this!"

She nodded in reluctant agreement as he jumped onto the sling and charged his legs with Aura, readying himself for a long, long jump. "Pull it back for me!" He instructed, now yelling over the chaos, the sound of a torrent of seemingly infinite plumes.

Blake strained as she pulled the ribbon back and let go. He soared, the second time today he had gone airborne— but this time he had a so-called 'landing strategy.'

It was shit, but still better than eating dirt.

"Raaaaaahhhhh!" He yelled, letting the wind carry him when his Aura needed a break. He quickly realized he was losing momentum, so he focused to create a grappling hook of pure Aura— glowing with a natural light. It latched onto the Nevermore by carving into its flesh, but before the Nevermore could shake him off, he jumped up to grab its talons.

Weiss ran over to Blake, clearly fatigued. "What is that... that _dunce_ doing!?" She shrieked.

Blake shrugged. "I dunno. If it works, who are we to judge?"

Jaune quickly came to an epiphany that in hindsight seemed fairly obvious. Holding onto a Nevermore was _exceedingly_ difficult. It thrashed wildly in a vain attempt to get the knight off, but Jaune sure as _hell_ was not going to let go to his only chance off living. He also had to make sure he didn't get anywhere near its wings, because then it could just let go of him with the unfairly sharp feathers.

Realizing his time in the air was running out, he began to do as much damage as he could, slicing unceasingly into its body with Crocea Mors. It was like a rhythm— reminding him of the cooking shows his mother watched.

 _Just like a steak..._ he mused as he julienned the bird's back, leaving criss cross marks oozing lifeblood in his wake.

Then suddenly, he wasn't alone, because the Nevermore had slammed against a cliff with a roar. He hung on for dear life, before seeing a flash of red and black. "R-Ruby?"

"Socially awkward buddies forever!" She yelled. Her horticultural 'weapon' clung to the Nevermore's neck, prepared to decapitate it. Behind her, blue circles began to shimmer brightly, with complex figures akin to snowflakes on each one. They rose upwards in a vertical alignment, and Ruby shouted, "Hang on!"

She began to run upwards— using the circles as some kind of momentum. The Nevermore began shaking as it continued to let out piercing cries. They began to lose vigour as Ruby ascended, and she yelled victoriously when she reached the top of the cliff. "Jaune!" She called.

"On it!" Ruby's 'guillotine' project had worked— the Nevermore's head came off with a clean 'schlop.' His Aura was now rather depleted, but he still had plenty for a final jump.

 _Crap crap crap crap crap!_ He wasn't going to make it! Jaune grabbed onto the edge of the cliff in desperation, but he could feel his fingers slipping.

Shit! Was this how he was going to go? Off a cliff!?

Suddenly he felt himself being lifted up, soft fingers on his rough ones. He looked up to see Ruby, who was pulling him up with uncharacteristic strength. "I can't let you escape that easily," she teased.

Now on safer ground, she helped him to his feet and they looked down. The Nevermore was already dissolving, a smoking mess of carnage falling into the pit. In the distance, they saw the others waving. Unsurprisingly, Nora burst out into another song, one that he could hear even from the top of the cliff.

Jaune sighed in relief. What a day... but his heart filled with joy as he realized he had made it through Initiation. Sure, his partner was... _her_ , but for now?

For now, he felt like he would be okay.

* * *

 **Yeah... sorry about leaving you guys hanging on what Pyrrha and Jaune's histories are with each other, but you'll find out in time. Honestly it wouldn't be practical for them to reminisce and confront each other during Initiation, right?**

 **Once again, thanks for your support and please continue to provide feedback and reviews! I really appreciate it.**

 **See you next chapter!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey, everyone. Welcome to Chapter 5. This is a bit of an intermediary chapter, so not many things going on. I want to set things up a little bit for later. Once again, I appreciate the continued feedback and support.**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 5- Greetings

* * *

"There has been a disturbance in our plans, young Cinder."

"How so, mistress?" Cinder Fall looked up to see her master, Salem, peering contemplatively at her Seer— a monstrosity of tentacles and bone, levitating ominously beside an even worse figure. She quickly looked back down at the cold stone floor, content to avoid the scrutiny of an eye-to-eye conversation with the most terrifying being on Remnant. "H-has Ozpin made another move?"

"Not Ozpin per se," Salem paused before nodding. "However, a new figure has entered the array. Someone who... may complicate things given your plans at Beacon."

Cinder froze, a chilling feeling seeping over her bones. _Impossible..._ The plan had been designed, fine-tuned, and perfected after years of plotting. It had contingencies upon contingencies, readied for even the worst of scenarios. Watts' immense technological reserves had all but ensured that, and although she would curse the day she admitted it, both him and Tyrian had done a... competent job in scouting ahead. For there to be a disturbance— an anomaly? Preposterous.

"I did not foresee this." Salem spoke plainly, clearly aware of Cinder's distress. "And I have no doubts about your aptitude in being able to overcome it."

"M-mam, if I may— what is the nature of this disturbance?" Cinder _had_ to eliminate such a threat, and fast. There could be no risks to her machinations. Cinder Fall did not operate on chance. She operated on numbers and skill.

"You should know by now how dear Ozpin and I are quite the fans of fairy tales," Salem drawled, chuckling. "This is another one. Perhaps even more arcane than the maiden powers— although I doubt it is as strong as they."

"What fairy tale exactly?"

"You need not know," Salem smiled. "He is not a threat to us now. He is at Beacon, but still young, meaning he will be weak, lacking the proper edge to use his powers. He will not have help even with Ozpin— the fool knows far too little about the abilities to manipulate him as a pawn."

He was still a mere child, then... the thought relieved Cinder, although only slightly. "I see. Do you have plans for his abilities? Can they, perhaps, be extracted in the means that a Maiden's are?"

"I do not know. I suppose if you can sway his loyalties, you should, but given that we know so little, I would advise against it. What I can tell you is that the abilities seem to revolve around Aura... far more complex than any Semblance." Her lips pulled back in a snarl. "The fact that I know so little irritates me greatly. Tread carefully, Cinder."

The words were chilling, more so because Salem was the wisest individual she had ever met— her incredible longevity had granted her millenia of wisdom— something Cinder had always regarded with great envy. Knowledge and intelligence _was_ power, no matter how much others seemed to overlook it.

It was why Watts, who Cinder would have delighted in killing, was still here.

"Yet... I am rather confident he will be a nuisance to you, but nothing more. I regret not being able to inform you further of this affair. I have only recently been made aware of such a presence thanks to his connection to Ozpin, and even now what I can sense is murky. Even his identity is a mystery."

"I see, mistress. I-I will not fail you. Not after all this time." Cinder spoke with confidence. She was the girl who wanted power, and she had it now. The moment for her to grasp her destiny was imminent. She would not let a mere child get in the way of her fate.

"I know, young Cinder." Salem drawled, clearly pleased. "I have trained you well, and for very long. I know you will not let me down." Her eyebrow arched. "Have you spoken to Watts regarding your departure for Beacon? Your cover must remain stable, and I fear Leonardo has become unstable from what I've been able to collect from our more recent... liaisons."

"I have, mistress. Despite your founded concerns, I believe he is still loyal, at least through fear, to our cause. My disciples are already established at Haven. The situation is stable." Everything _was_ going as planned for now, and their sudden entrance into the academy had not raised any eyebrows.

Salem hummed absentmindedly, her long fingers tapping impatiently at her throne. "Good, good. Tyrian tells me the hunt for the maiden goes well, although with his state of clarity I doubt his honesty. Have you heard of Hazel's movements in eastern Vacuo?"

"No, mam. I could inquire with Watts if you'd like, however."

She shook her head dismissively. "No, no. Do not bother yourself with such unimportant and trivial affairs. You have more important things to focus on. I shall inquire with a horde of my own."

"I see. Am I dismissed, mam?" Cinder was eager to leave, although she would never admit it. Encounters with Salem were never free of stress. Everyone was on edge— except Tyrian, she supposed, whose unhinged behaviors had become a standard.

"Yes. See to it that the... anomaly does not prove to be more than an annoyance."

"Of course." Cinder bowed once more, letting her raven black hair fall to the ground, before she walked away with careful steps.

Cinder didn't like this. Although Salem's words had reassured her slightly, the fact that there was someone else at Beacon who happened to possess special abilities?

It could not be overlooked. She would have to keep a close eye on every student there. Otherwise, this boy would become a cancer to her path. While Salem had deemed him a mere child— if he was enough for Salem to recognize, then he could not be dismissed easily. He was clearly a powerful individual indeed, one enough to have the potential to wreak havoc in her plan.

What kind of monster _was_ he?

* * *

"Blurggggh!" Jaune vomited into a trash bin the moment the Bullhead's doors had opened in the Beacon courtyard. "Gaahh. Blech."

"You okay, Jauney?" Nora patted his back gently, although she recoiled when she took a whiff of what had surged out of him. "Ewww..."

"Sorry," Jaune choked out, clutching his stomach. "Really sorry."

The others now watched from a safe distance, and Nora went to join them quickly after. He couldn't blame them— he knew firsthand how bad it could be because some of his sisters had the same predicament as he. Even when, through some stroke of luck, he could hold it in, odds were one of sisters couldn't.

It was at moments like those that he truly pitied his parents, neither of whom could empathize with the pains of air sickness.

"Are you alright, Mr. Arc?" Jaune suddenly became aware of a gentle hand on his back. He opened his eyes to see a grey haired man looking kindly at him. Ozpin.

"H-Headmaster Ozpin!" Jaune gasped, stumbling backwards. He almost gave him a salute before deciding to simply shut up and give a slight bow. Opening his mouth, no matter how much he wanted it, ended badly almost all the time. He wanted to make a good impression on the Headmaster.

Jaune studied the man for a second. He clearly carried himself with the gait of a warrior— he was confident, graceful, and on edge. His hair was dishevelled, but somehow it gave off not the sense that he was an uncollected man, but rather one occupied by far too many thoughts. His glasses were dark, masking some of his emotion, and beneath that, he wore a dark green scarf wrapped snugly around his neck.

"No need for such formalities, young man." Ozpin seemed amused at his display, and somehow completely unbothered by Jaune's state. To his relief, the horrid smell was beginning to seep away. Jaune wiped his mouth and stood a little taller, thankful for the man's kindness.

"I must congratulate you, young man, on a job well done today." His voice was like granite, smooth and sculpted. It spoke of wisdom and years upon years of experience, and Jaune was in awe of how sagelike even the most basic of words sounded coming from the man's voice.

"T-thank you, Headmaster. I'm honored." Jaune nodded in thanks.

"I must ask, Mr. Arc— I am already aware of your combat achievement, but you also seem to be quite proficient in Aura. Is there a reason?"

His chest swelled in pride. "Yes, sir. I have an Aura manipulation Semblance. It allows me to do fantastic things."

"Such as?" Ozpin seemed unusually curious and invested— from what Jaune had heard from his father, the Headmaster had a hands-off approach with his students. It only made Jaune more proud that the man had taken an interest in him.

"Ah, well I haven't exactly explored all my limits," Jaune smiled nervously. "The usual stuff, like enhancing parts of my body. I can usually conjure a little more of it, too. But the real special thing is I can project it for combat, and with focus, even create constructs— although that's a bit harder. Still have to work on it a little bit." Honesty was the better policy here, he decided, lest the Headmaster ask for a demonstration. "I can heal others a bit too, as well, but I'm not so confident about big injuries or illnesses."

Ozpin nodded, and his expression was enigmatic. He seemed slightly pleased however, and tapped his cane. It was not very long, and seemed a rudimentary weapon. Jaune knew otherwise than to judge a weapon at first glance though, and upon further study— it was worn— very worn, clearly, and had grooves on it that indicated usage.

"Everyone has gifts, young man. It is a matter of how well you use them. I implore you to use yours with wisdom and maturity." Ozpin smiled kindly. "I believe you are on the right track already."

"Thank you, sir." It was why he was here— to help others. Sure, he wanted to make friends, get a girlfriend, learn, have adventures... all that good stuff, but a Huntsman _helped_ others. They were heroes, and that's what he loved about them.

It was a constant in his life, something he had always looked up to and wanted to become. Some hobbies, dreams, and passions had come and gone, but his desire to become a Huntsman? His desire to make the world better? It had never wavered, not even once. Sure, he wasn't exactly an innocent child— and he liked sarcasm, swearing, and witty humor _far_ too much to be the archetypal hero, but justice and fairness? That was the good stuff.

"I suggest you join up with your friends before the team announcements and ceremony." Ozpin glanced at his clock, a shiny silver one that gleamed in the waning sunlight. "We wouldn't want you getting lost."

Jaune nodded, his deeper thoughts now leaving him as he made his way to the group, who was, to his relief, waiting for him. It looked like he still had managed to make friends, regardless of how weird some of them were. Some more than others.

They trudged towards the Main Hall, now exhausted after a long day of fighting. Even Nora seemed to be slightly hindered, lacking her usual vigour in her step. On the other side was Weiss, who, despite her... unsavory habits, felt a tinge of sympathy for. Her dress was torn and her face covered in soot. Her rapier was covered in grime.

He suddenly became aware of a presence near him and jumped before quickly realizing it was Blake. "H-holy— don't surprise me, Blake." He relaxed before looking suspiciously at her. "You want the goods?"

"No," she swatted his hand away when he reached for his knapsack. Although he had his collection in a box, he always had one or two volumes on hand.

"You sure?" He took one out, and to his amusement, Blake's eyes glazed over hungrily before shaking her head and pushing it away. He snorted, but was rather impressed. He had brought along quite the collector's item today.

She sighed. "I must admit your collection is pretty impressive— and you _seem_ to be a genuine fan of the genre rather than some pervert—" She paused to study him briefly, as if actually checking. "I will test that later," she decided, before nodding. "But I just wanted to talk."

"Shoot."

"What did Ozpin tell you?" Blake asked, her eyes boring into his. It was only now that he could see how tired she was. She was as roughed up as the others, her normally pale skin splattered with grime and dirt. Her eyes, although smoldering in the same intensity of the night before initiation, were muted and worn down.

"Congratulated me. Not much. Just told me to get to you guys, after that. We didn't have a conversation for _that_ long, you saw." He paused before adding. "I don't think he was completely immune to my smell, either."

She smiled and seemed to relax, and they walked in silence as they made their way to the hall. It was much needed, too, because although Jaune liked talking with friends— he simply didn't have the energy at the moment.

"Good job today." Blake spoke up first, surprising him again. "I don't say that a lot, so I mean it."

He could tell, because her face had scrunched up in a rather strange way. It did bring a warm feeling to his heart, and he smiled. "Thanks. You did good too."

It was a brief moment of camaraderie, two friends congratulating each other on a job well done. They continued walking towards the Main Hall, walking in silence the rest of the way. The cobblestone pavement became smooth marble as they entered. It lost none of its grandeur in the evening, and clearly there were some parents (among others) who were excitedly waiting for their children. Some would be ecstatic, while others would be disappointed after today.

Jaune followed the rest into a row of plastic seats, and found himself situated between Blake and Ren— two of the more _normal_ people in the group, to his relief.

"Are you displeased with your team?" Blake asked, her voice low. He turned to see the girl looking intently at him. He had the sense that she was always reading— not just her smut, but everyone's emotions and reactions. He had thought he had done a fairly good job of hiding the way he had interacted with Pyrrha, but clearly Blake had seen through his ruse.

Was he displeased with his team? Ruby was great: kind and awkward. Jaune liked talking with her, and he didn't have to fear of messing things up in a conversation.

The others? Weiss was probably a crazy fan who was already plotting some nefarious way to steal his boxers. At least she hadn't pulled anything yet. He would watch her very carefully.

Pyrrha... was Pyrrha.

"Not at all!" He managed.

"You're lying." Blake's eyes narrowed, giving him a look that went straight through him. She at least had the sense to keep her voice down so that the others wouldn't hear, but his heart sank.

"I'm lying." He slumped down, defeated. "Ruby's great!" Jaune put his hands up to prove his point. "It's just... Weiss is really scary."

Blake's eyes narrowed. "As expected of her."

"What?" He raised his eyebrow.

"Ah— nothing." Blake corrected quickly. "She just clearly is an... intimidating individual."

 _Finally, someone who understands!_ He nodded, glad to see someone who saw Weiss for who she _really_ was. It seemed that he wasn't the only target of her zealous behavior.

"Do you know Pyrrha?"

His heart faltered. Could he tell her about his past with Pyrrha? Everything told him not to, but Blake felt like someone he could trust. She clearly wasn't one to actively seek out others to tell them things. Anyways, weren't relationships built on that sacred t word?

"Y-yeah. We used to be close. Sort of."

"Sort of?" Blake's eyebrows were raised, clearly questioning. She wasn't going to give this up.

Jaune glared at her before faltering when he saw that she was firm. "We were real close, I guess. Up until like, fifteen or something."

"Then?"

He looked around nervously, and to his relief most of the group were asleep. Ruby, Yang, Weiss, Ren, and Pyrrha were all completely knocked out. Nora was playing with Ren's face in his slumber.

"She left for greater things, I guess." He paused, and he saw Blake scrutinize him from the corner of his eye, clearly curious by the way his expression darkened. He always got angry when thinking about Pyrrha. "I-I don't want to talk about it for now. Sorry."

To his relief, she nodded, perhaps content to wait for the secret to come out. Instead, she swiped out _**his**_ special edition novel and began reading through it. She read silently, and a strange peace fell over the eight of them. Most of them sleeping from exhaustion, but Nora was still full of energy, giggling as she stroked Ren's face. Blake and Jaune were deep in their books.

The tranquil was interrupted by polite applause as Ozpin entered the auditorium stage, clutching his cane as usual. He noted his mug of coffee was strangely absent, until Ms. Goodwitch walked in holding it as if it were some kind of repulsive insect.

"Would Pyrrha Nikos, Weiss Schnee, Jaune Arc, and Ruby Rose please come up to the stage?"

Blake moved her knees so he could shuffle through. He muttered his thanks as he followed Ruby up to the stage. She looked back at him nervously, but seemed to relax when he patted her back comfortingly.

The light on the stage was obscenely bright, and he squinted to see the people in the audience. His parents and sisters had already gone home, knowing that he would make it past Initiation. He had warned them against being overconfident, but he couldn't blame them for expecting it.

"Pyrrha Nikos. Weiss Schnee. Jaune Arc. Ruby Rose. The four of you retrieved the white king pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team PWJR, or Pewter."

 _What the hell happened to MY letter!?_ Ruby seemed to see this, and she stifled a laugh at his indignant expression.

"Led by... Pyrrha Nikos!" _Fuck!_

He glanced over to his... old friend, and she forced out a smile before nodding to Professor Ozpin. She clearly wasn't happy, for whatever reason.

"Congratulations, young woman. You put on a prolific display during Initiation."

They made their way over to the edge of the stage, where another team, team... CRDL, was waiting. The last four were made team 'BLVY,' or Blue, and he could only shoot Nora an understanding look as her surname Valkyrie was ignored. Not that she seemed to care, because she was too busy hugging Ren. Seriously, not 'together-together?'

What a joke.

He turned to whisper to Ruby. "Seriously, though. Why is it that my name that gets the short end of the stick?"

She giggled. "Relax, Jaune. You can complain with Nora. I'm sure the Headmaster had a really well thought out way of making the teams."

She was right, probably, no matter how irked he was that his name had been snubbed. In fact, Ozpin probably had some complex algorithm for it. This _was_ the esteemed Headmaster after all.

* * *

"Eenie meenie minie mo." Ozpin flicked his fingers over the four faces on the paper. "Port, pick up a number please. One to four."

"Three." Port said boredly, shooting darts at a photo of General James Ironwood. Or, at least, what _had_ been General James Ironwood. Now that man was missing both his eyes and his chin was dotted with... well, holes.

"Alright. Looks like Nikos is the leader." He turned to Glynda, who had long given up on any attempt to try to find a logical way of selecting team leaders and names. She was tapping away at her scroll, making lesson plans already. "Glynda, what colors start with N and can use the other three students in it somehow?"

"NARS? Could that mean anything?" She asked. "PARS? PRAS?"

Ozpin sighed. "No, that's not anything. Bah. Perhaps we should make Schnee the leader? Or Arc? Team... ARSN? Arson? Isn't that the gray chemical?"

"That's arsenic, Headmaster. Arson is setting fire to things. I'm not sure it would be the best choice for a team. Furthermore, it isn't a color."

Port spoke up. "Also, ARSN sounds like arse!" He let out a hearty laugh.

"You try making a better one, then." Ozpin grumbled petulantly. "Bart, what do you think?"

"Eh?" The green haired doctor looked over at them. "Change the name. WRAP, for Rap. I hear the younger ones love hip-hop these days."

"Rap isn't a color, Bartholomew." Glynda interrupted.

The man scowled before contemplating briefly. "PWJR. Pewter. Like the rock." He took a sip out of his thermos.

"Aha!" Ozpin laughed. "Well done, Bartholomew. Team Pewter."

"S-sir," Glynda interrupted. "That doesn't incorporate Mr. Arc's name in any way. It's a T, not a J."

Ozpin chuckled. "Just lop off the bottom and stick it on the top! If you have a better idea in, oh, five minutes, I will take it."

"I really think we ought to plan better for this."

"Nonsense. That would be... restrictive."

* * *

Weiss Schnee had mixed feelings about how teams had worked out.

She had bemoaned her luck when she had been matched up with the immature girl from before Initiation— Ruby Rose. The girl had become quite the nuisance, although Weiss supposed she seemed a decent enough fighter.

Yet she couldn't really be too angry— mostly because her other two teammates. Pyrrha Nikos and Jaune Arc— the two prodigy fighters! That they were partners _was_ slightly unfair— as Xiao Long had so eloquently put it:

" _What the fuck? You guys are partners? How is that even fair? I bet Pyrrha or Jaune are like, worth at least a whole team on their own!"_

Weiss didn't doubt it, and she was quite enamoured with both of their combat styles— Weiss knew she was one of the best out there, but Pyrrha and Jaune _were_ prodigies. She knew she could learn from their techniques herself— and she had. Pyrrha's flawless precision and accuracy was something she desired to emulate in every sense of the word. Jaune's style was a bit harder, especially given her physique. She couldn't afford to throw Aura-enhanced haymakers, although she supposed she could consult him on how to weaponize Aura better in tandem with Myrtenaster.

Point being, two of her teammates were excellent, the other... subpar. She tried to distract herself with the former.

Strangely enough, the two didn't seem very happy to be put together, but she would deal with that later. Whatever petty past they had _had_ to be put away.

She supposed not being leader was at least understandable in this case, mostly because it was _Pyrrha Nikos_ that was in her stead, but she would still do her best to impart her own discipline on the team. There was no doubt that despite her team's raw skill and talent, they still had shortcomings.

She was ready, and she had a decent enough start.

What she wasn't ready for was coming back late from having to bring her extra luggage to see Jaune and Ruby desperately trying to stack the beds on top of each other.

Belongings were strewn all over the floor. What made things worse was that Jaune and Ruby noticed her almost immediately. When they did, they began to panic and try to frantically reverse what they were doing— to limited success.

"What are you doing!?" She shrieked, causing Ruby to flinch and Jaune to pale. "You dolt!" She stalked over to Ruby, who was no doubt responsible for corrupting the mind of Jaune. Ruby winced as Weiss seemed to grow a few inches in height as she prepared to lash at her verbally.

"What were you _thinking!?_ That could have hurt many people!" The _audacity_ of some people astounded her. The nerve... the recklessness...

"We were trying to make bunk beds!" Ruby shook her hands wildly.

"Bunk beds!?" Weiss' face grew a deep crimson, which made for an interesting image next to Pyrrha. "What kind of idiotic, irresponsible, and amateur—"

"S-s-stop!" Jaune managed, and for some odd reason, Ruby seemed enamoured by Jaune's attempt to redirect her wrath. She quickly hid behind him. "I was also a part of this." Jaune admitted.

"You were!?" Jaune began to whimper, but he nodded reluctantly.

"Y-yeah." His voice quavered, but still held strong.

"I see." Weiss calmed significantly, and Jaune seemed shocked by her change. "I will defer to your decision then. Surely there must be some way to increase the safety, though?"

Ruby and Jaune exchanged looks before they each offered a solution.

"Rope!"

"Duct tape!"

Pyrrha stepped in before Weiss could break into pieces again. "I-I can use my Semblance— polarity— to screw them together. I can sense metal in the frames of the bed— it'll be relatively safe and easy to do." She paused. "If you could keep my Semblance to yourselves, though, I'd be grateful."

Weiss nodded, and marvelled at the girl's handiwork as she slowly shifted the beds to align perfectly. A creaking sound could be heard from within the frames— the metal curling to Pyrrha's demands. She expertly hooked the metal into each other to secure the placement. For an amateur job, it was admirable, Weiss supposed.

"I suppose... _bunk beds_ are efficient." Weiss spat out the words with disgust. "Especially given my luggage and the space I— we'll need to occupy. Now if you'll excuse me, I must unpack. I suggest you all do the same."

The others nodded their agreement and got to work.

She stalked over to where the rest of her bags were and began to take out her clothes and carefully stack them into the closet, patting them gently to rid them of any excess dust. Then she took out her dust vials, meticulously arranging them in the cupboard, next to Ruby's... cookie dough.

It seemed that despite Ruby's acceleration in schooling, her childish habits still lingered. Weiss did admit with a slight fondness that cookies were a good dessert, one that evoked pleasant memories— memories of Klein visiting her room with warm tea and freshly baked cookies, and others shared with Winter before her departure for the military.

Yet why Ruby decided she needed cookie _dough_ was beyond her. The dormitory had an oven and a mini-kitchen, but as far as she knew, Ruby didn't have any butlers. If she did, Weiss would be thoroughly surprised.

"What shall we do with the bed arrangements?" Pyrrha spoke up, pointing to the bunk beds. Weiss was shaken from her thoughts and looked to see the three of them standing awkwardly in front of the beds.

"By partners, no?" Weiss thought it was fairly straightforward. "I'll take bottom bunk, Ruby. Jaune and Pyrrha— you may choose amongst yourselves." She immediately went to work on the bed, stretching out her silk covers over the edge gently.

She sighed in contentment as she ran her hands over the silk— a comfort from home— warm and soft, offering solace in her dark moments.

"Can I take top?" She heard Jaune ask. There was an awkward silence, and she turned to see Pyrrha and Jaune looking at each other intensely. It reminded her of the business deals her father had taken her to. Her father and his advisors would meet with an associate and his respective assistants, and they would have a contest. A contest of offers, yes, but also one of stares and wills.

It was a startlingly familiar scene.

Weiss felt the urge to say something, something to alleviate the tension in the room— but there was an electricity in the air— even Ruby seemed to notice it, by the way she was tensing. Weiss suddenly became aware of her hands clenching, sweat forming in her palms.

"Yes." Pyrrha nodded curtly, and suddenly the scene was defused. Her answer was short, clipped, and... somewhat anticlimactic. Weiss studied the two, moving about stiffly. They had probably known each other from before— perhaps even shared a bout, although she didn't know when and what the result had been— and may have had some sort of rivalry. But what she had just seen?

It had been enmity... and something else. Weiss wasn't sure if she wanted to know what the 'something else' was, at least for now.

* * *

Jaune had had doubts about Weiss, but he admitted that she had cleaned up the dorm quite nicely. With her in de facto charge, their room was tidy and organized— something he could appreciate after having lived in a pigsty for the past few years. Coming back from tournaments left you too exhausted to clean up things, and although his mother had tried her best— he had seven sisters.

Now, their room was pristine, which was why their 'sister' team's room looked all the more... dysfunctional.

In a possessive move, Nora had proposed a 'security' curtain around her and Ren's beds. She had insisted that Ren's 'chastity' had to be protected.

When Yang had pointed out that his 'chastity' wouldn't be protected from Nora, she had been promptly shut down by... physical means.

The room was more minefield than dorm, and so apparently they had decided to 'divide' the big room into quarters. It had become a territorial game, and eventually Ren and Blake had conceded the window sides. With a stick of chalk, they had drawn out the jagged lines of their borders.

'Nora-land' was completely disorganized, with items strewn all over the floor. She also seemed to have quite the collection of... pancake mix? Some of which had unfortunately spilled on the floor, leaving pale brown marks all over. Nora also seemed to have an obsession with pink, which showed in her bombastic taste in furniture, and perhaps men.

'Ren-land' was the sheer opposite— everything neatly stacked. He had already set up a garden of herbs, that Jaune had to admit, had quite a pleasing aroma.

'Yang-land' was not as bad as Nora, and the walls were littered with posters of boy bands. She had also somehow managed to actually bring her motorcycle _into_ the dorm. Jaune did not ask how or why she had done so, and was not sure if he wanted to know.

'Blake-land' was, well, quite empty. It had literally nothing except a bed, a few books, her pajamas (yukata, as she had corrected), along with an extra shirt that she hadn't even bothered to hang up. Was this really all she had?

He had felt a pang of sympathy and bought her one of the Beacon sports hoodies from the gift shop downstairs, and although he had the suspicion that hoodies were not exactly to her liking, she had accepted it with thanks. He made a mental note to buy her some more clothes later— it wasn't like he was low on money. He had way too many endorsement deals— he had cut all of them now that he was a student, of course, but his account was overflowing still.

"Ooohh... are you buying clothes for her already?" Yang teased, her voice clearly meant to irritate.

"I-it's not like that, Yang." He stammered. Seriously, one act of kindness and that was what she assumed?

"Why? Isn't she the cutest?" She reached over to try to touch Blake's cheeks, but quickly recoiled when Blake hissed at her angrily.

Jaune fixed her a glare. "I'm warning you, Yang."

"Psh. I should be the one warning you. She's my partner, you know. Unless you want to be partners with her in a _**different**_ sense of the word. Eh?"

Jaune threw a lazy punch at her, and she ducked instinctively.

"Chill, chill. Whatever Vomit Boy. If you want to make your moves, make 'em. Though not on Ruby." She warned, her eyes flaring briefly.

"Whoa— did your eyes just turn red?" It looked like they had, actually.

"Yeah. Semblance." She clicked her tongue.

"Your Semblance makes your eyes red?"

She cuffed him playfully. "Very funny. I can dish back damage after I've taken it. The burning hair and the eyes are an add-on."

 _Burning hair?_ He wanted to ask, but he decided not to lest she give him a first hand look. "I won't do anything like that to Ruby. Or anyone, for that matter." He added. "I wouldn't do that."

Yang laughed. "I know you wouldn't. I don't think you'd hurt a fly. At least, not on purpose. You _were_ basically in a blood sport for a while."

"Meh," he acknowledged, tipping his head. "Yeah. A-anyway, I'm going to head out. I just came by to give Blake the hoodie."

Blake spoke up, her words soft. "Thanks again, Jaune. I appreciate it."

"Y-yeah, no problem." He scratched the back of his head nervously. "I'll catch you later. Good night, guys."

The two said their good nights as Blake headed towards the bathroom to shower. Seeing that Ren was already asleep— no doubt exhausted from Initiation and, well, Nora— he tiptoed towards the door but winced as Nora grabbed his ankle.

"Nighty night!" Nora crowed before letting him go. "See you in the AM!"

"Night, Nora." He whispered before slipping out the door and into the hallway, now lit by moonlight.

He had actually planned to stay in their dorm for as long as possible, because now that it was night, it was potential for Weiss to strike. He had to remain vigilant now. He had decided to just sleep the first night, as a sort of scouting day. He needed the rest, too.

Jaune opened the door to see Pyrrha and Ruby already fast asleep on their beds. Weiss was still awake, tapping away furiously at her scroll. She was probably hatching some nefarious plan to auction off his belongings, or contributing to the clandestine forum chats on the JAFC website.

He slipped into his own bed, now dressed in a simple pastel blue t-shirt and sweatpants. "G-good night, Weiss."

 _Please_ , he begged. _Just let me sleep_.

"Good night, Jaune."

* * *

 **Yeah, I know this is a bit of an uneventful chapter but I needed it to get things going. At the end of the day, I feel like these teams were the best way to go— I needed to mix them up somehow to get an interesting thing going, and I liked the dynamics I'd built. Don't worry, still plenty of the Jaune and Blake book club coming, among other things.**

 **Thanks for reading and I'll see you next chapter!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey, everyone. Welcome to Chapter 6. I know a lot of you have been waiting for what exactly the nature of Pyrrha and Jaune's relationship is, and starting from this chapter you'll see the truth start to unravel. The reason why I can't just go out and say it explicitly is because in my opinion, that'd necesitate a full-on confrontation between the two, and it's not time for that yet.**

 **Regarding the teams, a lot of you questioned the decision to make Pyrrha leader, and I get it. You'll see my own approach to her leadership style.**

* * *

Chapter 6 — In Bloom

* * *

 _Dear Jaune,_

 _I hope this letter finds you well back at home. Here in Mistral's capital, everything moves so quickly. There are hundreds of other contestants who are perhaps as good as I, and even more who are greatly experienced. Still, I'm confident I can beat many of them. The trainers have helped me greatly._

 _Days are hard, mostly because my agent and his people put me through a really tough training regimen. There's a specific diet, exercises, sparring... but I guess it's all part of the sacrifice. No pain, no gain, like in that movie we watched once. I get through it knowing that there's something greater waiting at the end. They want me to compete at a Regional Tournament coming up— there are two or three per year, I think._

 _Did you see my exhibition battle from two days ago? I know it wasn't a tournament bout, but it's a step in the right direction, at least that's what my agent tells me. I won pretty easily. I'll send you a link later._

 _There are so many new people, too—_ _new, unfamiliar faces. I haven't really made any friends yet, sadly. What is it that you always tell me? Strangers are just friends you haven't met yet? When you first told me it, I was a bit skeptical, but now I see that it might be a good way to go about things, especially given my circumstances._

 _How goes your training? I know you don't have your sparring partner anymore, but I hope you are keeping up with it for your sake. If you'd like, I can send you some instructional videos. Maybe I can even steal some of the resources my trainers use, although they'd probably be displeased. Just remember, one foot staying rooted gives you balance. We wouldn't want you falling into a river like that one time, right?_

 _I know that you're probably still angry at me, and I understand. I don't think we parted in a good way, and there's so much I still want to say. Just know that I never meant to leave you behind or anything like that— I swear. I would never do that to you, and you know it. Whatever happens, we'll still be Jaune and Pyrrha, and Pyrrha and Jaune. I swear on my life I'll never forget that._

 _You'd probably say that I already have, but to me? To me you're still that little child who gave me a lesson in friendship on that first day of kindergarten. It began with something as simple as friendship bracelets and sharing lunch at school, and grew into something I'd never give up for anything. It's hard to believe it's already been almost ten years. I miss you like crazy and I hope you write me back. If you don't, then I understand, I guess. I wish you all the best._

 _Love,_

 _Pyrrha_

* * *

Pyrrha sighed as she walked out of the bathroom. Everyone was asleep now, obviously, the room filled with the sounds of gentle snoring. Thankfully no one seemed to be a loud sleeper, although Weiss and Ruby occasionally mumbled in their sleep. Jaune was, as usual, completely silent, a neutral expression drawn over his face.

 _This was not how I saw my first day going..._ Realizing she couldn't go back to sleep immediately, she sneaked out the door and into the hallway before making her way down to the courtyard. It was chilly, but not uncomfortably so. She walked through the gardens, basking in the soft glow of moonlight.

A few years back, being told that she would be partners with Jaune at Beacon would have made her ecstatic. Not just because she would be partners with him, but also because it would mean that Jaune had become strong enough to be a Huntsman-in-training.

Back when they were younger, even in their sparring sessions, Pyrrha would be the one to lead, Jaune following. She was always stronger than him, even with his special Semblance. That changed after she left for central Mistral, clearly. Jaune's mother had told her that he had gone out into the forest every day after she left for the capital to train, and that he would spend every moment outside of school and sleep trying to get better.

The two had been inseparable, in every sense of the word. Every waking moment they had spent together— walking to school, classes, lunch, sparring, dinner, homework... it had been a cycle, but not one of monotony— one of fond memories. Countless parties, their treehouse, sleepovers— it was what remained of her childhood, cut short by a competitive career, but nonetheless it was Jaune who had kept her grounded.

It was disheartening to see how far they had come. Not in a good way.

She opened her scroll and immediately regretted it as light blasted out of the screen. She quickly turned down the brightness and checked for any messages— meaningful ones, at least, because while usually her inbox was chock full with sponsorship offers and crazy fans who had managed to get her email, sometimes they had _important_ things.

A few notifications from some tabloids did catch her attention, and to her dismay some had already found out about her partnership with Jaune, labeling it an 'intense rivalry' or some bullshit like that. Her heart swelled with anger as she quickly deleted them.

Intense rivalry... That was what they made of it? In the one competitive battle that they actually had had, they hadn't even spoken to each other, much to the disappointment of some spectators hoping to see trash talk.

She shook away her thoughts and gently touched the flowers— chrysanthemum, by the looks of it. The petals stretched outwards delicately, curling lightly. In the moonlight, the colors were enhanced and magnified, setting the entire garden ablaze with vivid colors.

In the middle of the courtyard, a fountain was running. Pyrrha walked over and gently sat on the edge, watching the lights underneath the water dance frenetically. At the bottom of the fountain were smooth edged stones mixed with copper coins, glowing amber and red.

Would it really have been better at Haven? Pyrrha didn't know. When she had arrived for the tour, students were already well aware of her fame, and had begun fawning over her. Even the teachers— some of them, at least, had lavished her with praise.

Atlas would have probably been worse, no doubt... more so because she had _seen_ some of Atlas Academy's students. So uniform, so monotone— making meaningful friendships would be impossible there, at least for her. Shade was too far, and it was Vacuo. Vacuo was... well, Vacuo.

Now that she thought about it, what did a meaningful friendship even signify? Her only real friend had been Jaune, and that had gone deep... far deeper than just friends. When she had moved back to her home country in pursuit of the spotlight, she had never really been intent on making new friends— and although people were _nice_ to her for her achievements, real friendships?

She had made absolutely none.

It was a disappointing sentiment, and the reason that had driven her to go to Beacon. It _was_ the most prestigious among the four major Huntsman Academies— no matter how much Atlas' endowment continued to grow, Beacon had a legacy unmatched by any other. But the real reason had been because she wanted to relive what she had had with Jaune.

In some delicious irony, she had gotten what she had wished for.

She sighed and stood up, stretching as she relished the cool night air. It was crisp and fresh, the smell of rain and trees from a distance. In any other situation, she would have admired the night's beauty, but now she was simply stressed and angry.

"When did things get this bad..."

* * *

Blake was good with ambushes.

She had experience with them— being part of the White Fang meant vigilance was a key trait. She had built it up through years of training. Keeping your eyes open, being ready for surprises— all of that was essential. Faunus traits helped a lot, too.

None of said experience helped her with Nora Valkyrie's... unorthodox approach in waking her up.

"FEARLESS LEADER BELLADONNA!" (Coincidentally what her father had been called for a while), "LEAD US INTO THE BATTLEFIELD!"

Blake unleashed a hiss at the girl, doing very little to temper her excitement. She noted that the girl had somehow gotten her hands on a large megaphone that as leader she would definitely have to confiscate. It was completely within her jurisdiction!

"N-Nora. Please put your megaphone down. It's my first order as leader." She groaned.

"Aye, aye captain!" She offered a mock salute as she stashed away the megaphone in her closet.

Blake looked over the rest of the room. Running water could be heard from the bathroom— Yang, she presumed, as Ren was... meditating? He sat on his bed in a cross legged position, eyes closed and a peaceful smile drawn over his face.

"What's Ren doin—" she was shushed by Nora. "Wh—"

"Shhh! Ren's meditation is not to be disturbed!" The girl looked at her, turquoise eyes flaring with intensity. "He must have his peace and calm!"

"What? You literally just used a megaphone to wake me up!" Blake gestured to the poorly concealed item stuffed beneath the bed.

"Shhh! I'm an exception. He's gotten used to meditating with my noise." Nora said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

For some reason Blake found that believable. She gave up and pointed at the bathroom door. "I need to use the bathroom. Has Yang been in there for very long?"

"An hour." Nora responded promptly.

 _Say that again?_ "An hour!?"

"An hour and... two minutes, to be exact. She says her hair takes special conditioning and caring for. She also told me to tell you that she has many cleaning products that you are in no circumstances to use." Nora handed her a piece of paper. "This is a list of said cleaning products."

"W-what!?"

"Shhh!" Nora hissed again. Blake glanced at Ren who still seemed utterly at peace, frozen still.

"Just commit it to memory." Nora whispered. "Here, the school uniforms were delivered today. You a medium?"

"Yeah." She took it gratefully. "Have you guys had breakfast?"

"Nah, Ren just made me some pancakes. The cafeteria isn't open until noon today, apparently. A prefect came by to advise us to buy something from the shop." _Damn it._ Blake was already famished— she doubted she would be able to focus at all during class.

She glanced at the bathroom. "When will Yang—"

Yang walked out on cue, her hair looking admittedly radiant. "Ahhhh... sorry Blake, I used all the hot water. Guess it'll help you wake up."

Blake ignored her in favor of jumping into the bathroom with her school uniform, quickly stripping and getting into the shower. The bathroom was pretty nice, she realized— with smooth marble floor and a walk-in-shower. The toilet was situated at the end of the room, separated by a translucent glass wall, while the sink was made of some kind of rock.

She cursed after turning on the faucet. _Shit!_ Yang had been right— the water was frigid cold, so much so that Blake had to bite her tongue to endure it at first. She would get Yang back for that.

She collected her thoughts as she cleaned herself up as quickly as possible, silently thanking Ren as she used his body wash— peach scent, but only because Yang had a whole shelf of cleaning products to herself that she did not want to bother with, and Nora's was called 'Viking's Body Wash." She did not want to know what exactly that entailed.

She was a member— no, _leader_ of BLVY. She hadn't expected it, but she would do her best. Her cover was safe, clearly— she didn't think anyone suspected her to be a Faunus and definitely not White Fang. She had even made a few companions, to say the least— Jaune, for one, who she admitted had been rather kind to her. Yang was nice as well, although she _was_ very passionate— someone she could rely on eventually. Nora and Ren were both fun to be around, and played off each other's personalities in a pretty amusing way.

The people she had met were as far from Adam as possible, and that was something she strangely liked. She enjoyed being around normal— well, relatively normal, given they were Huntsman— people.

She sighed and let the water splash on her face, the cold water sending shivers up her spine. It was a strangely relaxing experience, and she could feel the drowsiness seeping away from her. Her thoughts could wait for another time. Whatever conclusion she came to, she was still somewhat grateful for the way things had gone.

Things really could have gone worse.

Which was what she had been thinking until Nora stormed into the bathroom— which she had sworn she had locked.

"Eep!" Blake squeaked as she tried to cover up the important bits. Nora didn't seem to care one bit though, because she started pounding on the shower glass and peered into the booth.

"We're both girls, _relax_ Blakey. We're late for class! Come on!"

"Wh-what!?" Blake hissed at Nora for the second time that morning. "Just get out! I'll clean up and follow."

"Got it!" Nora sang as she slipped out the door once more, skipping on the way.

Blake cursed as she grabbed a towel and dried herself. She pulled on the school uniform— stiff and conservative, although rather nice looking. It was clean, too, which was all she could ask for, she supposed.

Her hair was a mess but she was no Yang, so she dried it off with the towel and rushed out to see Ren placing textbooks in her bag.

"Thanks." She muttered as the boy handed the bag to her, now heavy. Nora and Yang were impatiently waiting for her next to the door, tapping their feet rhythmically.

They opened the door to see Jaune racing out the door at breakneck speed, his teammates at his heels. "We're late!" Weiss shrieked. She yelped as Ruby ran past her, leaving behind what looked to be rose petals in her wake.

"We know!" Nora yelled as she began running, the others close behind them.

Thankfully, their first class— Grimm Studies— was not very far from their dorms, situated in the west wing of the main building.

Even so, by the time they were at the doors, all of them were out of breath, bar Nora. Seriously, that girl had insane stamina. Hadn't she ridden an Ursa the day before?

As they slipped into Professor Port's classroom, the man was beginning his introductions. The eight of them quietly got into their seats. Blake situated herself between Jaune and Yang.

"Hello! My name is Peter Port— slayer of Grimm, hero of Remnant... and all around ladies' man!" He announced, chuckling as he said the last title.

"Oh gods..." Yang groaned as her eyes began to flutter shut. She leaned in to whisper into Blake's ear. "Have you heard about Port? Someone told me he only tells stories for the entire class."

"Looks like the rumors are true." Blake noted, nodding as the professor began a hearty tale. The man was quite old— easily in his fifties, with a bushy gray mustache. He wore a red coat with gold buttons, and carried himself with an easy confidence. She had no doubts he was a seasoned warrior— further confirmed by how he swung around his poleaxe, but it looked like his prime days were far behind him, especially by the looks of his rather large belly.

"Monsters. Demons. Prowlers of the night. Yes, the creatures of Grimm have many names. But I merely refer to them as _prey_." The old man emphasized the last word, his mustache moving up and down uncontrollably. He gesticulated wildly as he launched into a description of some 'foul beast' some fair maidens had asked him to conquer.

Blake quickly tuned out, opting to bring out the textbook and read with the pretense of 'learning.' She leaned over to Jaune and whispered, "Books."

He nodded and slipped his hand into his bag, rummaging around. He looked up. "I got three." He flashed the covers beneath the table so that she could see them. _Ninjas of Love: Exotic Paradise. Pirate Tales: Chasing Booty. Holesome Adventures 7._

She picked up the _Pirate Tales_ , which— despite its rather crude title, was quite good. The writing and story were not bad, either.

She flipped open the book, hiding it behind ' _Grimm Studies 1_.' She had already read _Pirate Tales_ quite recently, so she got to the good parts almost immediately. After a while she wondered if she was obligated to feel guilty for not listening, but quickly realized she wasn't an exception.

Ruby and Yang were snickering at some asinine doodle that they had drawn, no doubt of the professor, while Weiss looked absolute indignant. Ren was... trying to listen, at least, but Nora's attempts to snuggle with him proved to be quite the distraction. Pyrrha was half asleep, while Jaune was all the way there. _What an engaging class._

"Hey Blake!" Yang nudged her. "Look at Ruby."

She turned to see the girl precariously balancing a pencil, book, and an apple respectively, which she admitted was an impressive display of balance. Clearly the Schnee disagreed, because if looks could kill, Ruby would have been dead fifty times over.

"So, who among you believes themselves to be the embodiment of these traits?" Her thoughts were interrupted by the professor walking towards their side of the classroom.

"I do sir!" Weiss immediately spoke up, her voice seething.

"Well then, let's find out!" The professor nodded in her direction. "Step forward, and face your opponent." He gestured to two steel cages next to him, which Blake had somehow managed to miss in the haste of getting to class. The professor pointed to the smaller one. "This one holds your foe."

It rattled, and from inside, she could almost feel the angry breathing of the Grimm, probably a Boarbatusk or Creep given its smaller size. What the professor had done to acquire such a beast was beyond her, but she was somewhat impressed. Grimm were not exactly the most docile of creatures, especially in captivity.

Weiss stepped out with a huff, her rapier— Myrtenaster, Blake remembered, in hand. She took a very contrived stance, one no doubt mined into her head by countless combat tutors.

"Good luck Weiss!" Jaune called out, still bleary but intent on wishing his teammate well. Nora and Ren cheered out their own support.

Pyrrha flashed Weiss a thumbs up, while Ruby yelled, "Represent Team PWJR!"

To Blake's surprise, Weiss scowled at the reaper. "Ruby, I'm trying to focus!" _What's her deal with Ruby? She seems like a nice enough girl._

"Alright. Let the match begin!" The professor swung his poleaxe down on the lock, letting the door _clang_ open. Sure enough, a Boarbatusk stomped out before seeing Weiss, who eyed the beast warily. It charged at her with a roar. Boarbatusk weren't exactly known for their strategic moves, even after gaining sentience as Elder Grimm.

Weiss parried its tusks as she dived out of the way, the clash emitting a harsh sound. Blake looked around her in amusement. _Now_ everyone was watching. It seemed that the battle was a far more entertaining option than hearing an old man muse about 'better days.' Blake shut her book and handed it back to Jaune, who took it without a word.

The heiress soared towards the beast this time, going on the offensive, only for her rapier to be stuck in its tusks. She dragged at her weapon but was flung backwards. Blake noted that the girl seemed to have a lower Aura pool than average, blue energy flaring weakly as Weiss fell on her back.

"Come on Weiss, show it who's boss!" Ruby chanted in encouragement. Weiss shot another angry look at her teammate before releasing her hold of her weapon, sending it flying into the air. The Boarbatusk slammed into her in a brutal ramming. Clearly the girl wasn't a martial artist, so she needed to regain her weapon— and fast.

Her foe charged at her again, and Weiss barely managed to evade the hit by rolling. The Grimm careened wildly, smashing into the desks, startling some poor spectator. The heiress took the opportunity to dive for her weapon, before returning to her original stance.

"Weiss! Go for its belly! There's no armor underneath—"

"Stop telling me what to do!" Weiss snapped at her teammate in the midst of the battle. _Whoa._ Blake didn't expect the SDC heiress to be a saint by any means, but why was she being so irritable?

The girl quickly heeded her partner's advice, however, as she conjured some kind of energy— a glyph, by the looks of it— stopping the Grimm in its tracks. It flipped over and began to flail wildly. She jumped up to gain momentum off another one— this one glowing black. Weiss plunged Myrtenaster into the monster. With one clean cut, the beast began dissolving almost immediately.

Blake noted that the girl was a good fighter— she had to admit it, she was impressed. Weiss clearly wasn't some foolish rich girl who had squandered her money on useless things. There was nothing more that Blake resented than violent racists, but wealthy hedonists who wasted away their resources? They came pretty close. She had to grudgingly concede that the girl had committed time into training, although her stance was somewhat artificial.

The professor clapped, clearly pleased. "Bravo. Braa-vo. It appears we are indeed in the presence of a true Huntress in training."

"Good fight," Jaune whispered as Weiss slipped back into the seat, clearly exhausted from the encounter. Still, the girl mustered enough strength to shoot a scalding glare at Ruby.

"Why must you be _**so**_ irritating!?" She screamed. To Blake's shock, it was loud enough for everyone to hear. Even the jolly professor seemed to still.

"I-I just wanted to help. It looked like you needed it!" _Ouch. Wrong choice._

"I'd like to see _**you**_ do better!"

"Aha! A challenge! Nothing better than a good old fashioned challenge." The professor interjected, relieved to have found some way to mitigate the tension. "I have just the thing. In fact, we can have _**two**_ people fight it. Why don't you and... Mr. Arc over here double team this foul beast."

* * *

Yang looked to the knight, who sputtered in exasperation.

"Ehhhh!?" Jaune exclaimed. "I-I didn't even ask for this!" Yang giggled at the sight, but she secretly threw in her support for the two. Hopefully he would help his sister put the Weiss girl in her place. Seriously, what was her problem!?

"My boy." The man chuckled. "You are a Huntsman-in-training. You should _seek_ out opportunities to deliver justice." He slapped Jaune on the back— probably meant to be encouraging— but it looked like it hurt like hell, because the poor teen's eyes bulged outwards. He choked out a response and got onto the open area with Ruby, who he exchanged a glance with.

"Thanks." He grumbled.

"Sorry..." She sighed and the two of them looked to the second cage, considerably larger than the one containing the Boarbatusk. The professor opened it to reveal an Ursa, but Yang immediately recognized the different glint in its eyes. It was sentient— Elder.

"Elder Grimm! Intelligent and cunning, something most Grimm lack. This is a truly fearsome foe indeed." The man chuckled.

The Ursa let out a monstrous roar. It was a behemoth of a Grimm— formidable bone plates covering its entire abdomen, and spiky protrusions emerging from its back. The arms were enormous, with sharp claws on the end of them. "Ruby— take left!" Jaune yelled as they scattered. Yang's sister unlocked Crescent Rose in its true form while Jaune unsheathed Crocea Mors.

In a blur of red and white, the two of them flanked the creature and charged, but it dodged easily by rolling backwards— something a normal Ursa would have probably not been able to do. Jaune growled in frustration and charged forwards with his sword in an offensive position. He channeled his Aura into his feet to leap back and forth from right to left at obscene speeds, forcing the Grimm to lose its attention on Ruby, who was now getting a clean shot on its head from behind.

"Eat this!" Jaune bellowed as he feinted a move, before plunging the sword into its lower abdomen. It howled and swatted at him, but Jaune put up his shield, having expanded from his sheath.

Yang studied his position as the teen darted in for attacks. To her surprise, she didn't find a stance— it looked like he simply flowed naturally with the battle. Yang had an eye for such things; a hand to hand fighter always had to absorb as much information as they could visually. Unlike Weiss, or even Pyrrha, he seemed to come up with an impromptu step. Was it lateral thinking? She pondered as she watched him stab repeatedly at the Grimm, but it was rather ineffectual due to the Ursa's thick exterior.

 _They're running out of time_ , Yang realized. Ruby had to find a weak spot in the Ursa's back, and Jaune wasn't going to hold against the Ursa's superior strength, and that was going to force him into an all out confrontation with the beast— one that he would probably want to avoid. She could see him begin to struggle, sweat forming on his forehead as he grunted under the pressure. He slid the shield back, dived out of the way, and launched a butterfly kick— twirling through the air to smash his feet into the Grimm's stomach, momentarily stunning it— before retreating backwards.

"Ruby, now!" The girl shot at the monster's head with her sniper rounds, cleanly passing through it two or three times as Jaune dived out of the way. It had taken some time, but Ruby's shot was good— it had hit a soft point, and the Ursa fell to the ground with a roar, now dissolving.

Ruby rushed over to high five Jaune, who offered a weary one. Yang smiled at the sight of the two. She had to admit, although her first impression of _Vomit Boy_ had been somewhat disappointing, he was a good guy, and she owed him for being a great friend to her sister.

"Well done, well done indeed." The professor stalked over to them, Jaune, now having the wisdom to evade one of his crushing slaps on the back, ducked. Ruby was not so lucky, and she yelped at the sudden impact. "Clever strategy indeed— using Mr. Arc's superior strength to distract the beast before finding a weak spot in the Elder Grimm's shell. Knowing that a direct confrontation would be cumbersome, you circumvented the normal route. You have certainly proved yourself as formidable warriors indeed. Cunning is another skill a Huntsman must have. Why, this one time..."

Yang admitted, it had been a pretty good strategy— Elder Grimm were rare, and especially hard to take down because they were so intelligent. They _knew_ how humans operated, so when fighting them, being unpredictable and developing strategies was paramount. She felt a swell of pride in her chest as she watched the professor deliver a tirade about Jaune and Ruby's performance.

The bell rang abruptly, letting out a shrill sound. Professor Port nodded to the class. "Class dismissed. Be sure to cover the assigned readings, and..." He paused for dramatic effect, crouching. "Stay vigilant."

The students let out a collective groan as they began filing out of the classroom. Yang offered Ruby a high five before leaning into her. "Great job. You showed the Ice Queen."

Ruby's ecstatic expression immediately wilted. "Wh-what do you think I should do? I didn't mean to annoy Weiss..." Yang's heart broke as she watched her sister shrink.

"Ruby." Yang cupped her younger sister's chin. "Ruby— Weiss will come around. I'm sure of it. Right now, it's all some stupid facade. She'll get over whatever anxiety she's having and I promise you'll be good friends eventually, okay? Just hang in there."

"You mean it?" _Damn it, Ruby_. Yang could never tell her younger sister no, especially when she was giving her the puppy eyes.

"Y-yeah." She paused before giving her a winning smile. "After all, I _am_ the authority on socializing, you know."

They shared a laugh as they headed to lunch, but Yang couldn't help but feel as if something was wrong. She would have to keep an eye on Ruby and Weiss. Ruby had returned to sulking, mumbling dejectedly as the group shuffled to the cafeteria.

She sauntered over to Jaune, who was absentmindedly singing a song, one earphone loosely hanging out and the other plugged in. "Hey Vomit Boy?"

"Ahhh!" He screamed before shooting her a glare. "I hate being surprised! Don't do that again."

She stifled a laugh at his childish display before giving him an apologetic glance. "I need to ask you for a favor."

"A-a favor?" Jaune raised his eyebrow. "...Alright?"

"Can you maybe have a talk with Weiss about Ruby? They aren't really getting along very well, as you could see in class." Yang admitted honestly, before taking on a more sultry tone. "I promise I'll make it worth your while..."

To her surprise, he began to pale rapidly instead of flushing. "W-w-weiss!?" He managed.

"Uh... yeah? Ice Queen? SDC Heiress? Your teammate?"

"Yeah, I know who Weiss is." He snapped at her. "J-just... I, uh."

"Uh, what?" Now she was curious. Weiss had problems with Jaune, too? Jaune and Ruby were like, the most likable in the group. She would have understood if the heiress had aimed her ire at her or Blake.

"Well, you see, it's just that, uh..." He rambled, clearly not wanting to say it as his eyes nervously darted from the floor to her.

"Just say it!" Yang stomped on the floor, letting her Semblance flare. He flinched before sighing in defeat.

"Weiss is... a JAFC leader." He visibly deflated at the admission.

 _What?_ She raised her eyebrow. "JAFC?"

"Jaune Arc Fan Club."

"Okay?" What was the problem? In fact, wasn't that _better_ for him? A teammate who also admired his work?

He sighed. "Y-you don't understand. The JAFC are crazy. Like, batshit insane. They try to steal my underwear, stalk me, get my contact info, break into my house... this one time a girl managed to sneak into my bedroom closet."

"What the fuck?"

"I know." He continued. "She had the JAFC sticker on one of her hand mirrors, and proudly declared being a high ranking member."

"You sure you saw it right?" _Weiss doesn't seem like a crazy fan._

"Yeah. I'd recognize the logo anywhere— it's the silhouette of a pair of boxers that were supposedly mine. Auctioned off for some obscene price on the JAFC website. It's like some holy relic for them."

"That _really_ does not sound like Weiss." From what Yang had been able to get from the girl, she was a stick in the mud for sure, but not someone who went insane over a celebrity. She knew the type, and Weiss wasn't one of them. Anyways, wasn't Weiss a celebrity too? A singer, or something.

"I know! So I'm thinking maybe it's not that big of a deal, but I need to play it safe. Last thing I want is to find my underwear drawer completely ransacked." Jaune winced at the thought.

"Maybe you should ask her about it first? Like if she's really a big fan or if she's intent on doing something crazy? It can't hurt to be honest, right? Plus, you have to be her teammate for four damn years, and probably after that too, in a sense. You have to come clean eventually. Be up front." She looked at him dead in the eye, indicating it was more of an order than a suggestion.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll give it a shot." His confidence seemed to be draining by the second, judging by the way he was slouching. She felt a pang of guilt.

"Okay, okay. I get it if it takes some time, but can you _please_ help me out here? I would ask Nikos but I don't really know her that well yet, and you seem pretty tight with Ruby."

"G-got it. I'll... try." Jaune swallowed and gave her a weak smile. "I-I know what it's like wanting to help your younger siblings." For a brief moment, Yang felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the boy, and she patted him on the back.

"Thanks, Jaune." She made sure to refrain from the nickname this time. "Means a lot, ya know?"

Jaune nodded, a faraway look in his eyes. "No problem... no problem at all."

Plus, if Weiss _was_ really a fangirl? That would be fucking hilarious! Weiss would never hear the end of it from her, at least.

* * *

"You thought I was a WHAT!?" Weiss shrieked, her face turning an ugly shade of red.

"Uh... nothing?" Jaune tried. He looked behind the towering figure to see Pyrrha giving him a bemused expression, and Ruby a horrified one.

"A FANGIRL!?" She stomped her foot. "Wh-wh-how!?"

"Well, you had the sticker! The JAFC sticker! With the boxers on them!" Jaune defended himself, shaking his hands. "Plus, you _said_ you were a fangirl!"

"I-I merely thought it was a good idea to get on good terms with you!" She yelled.

"Weiss, you— you don't know how they are. They— they're real crazy. I can't even express how relieved I am to hear that you're _not_ a crazy fangirl."

Weiss calmed before looking to Pyrrha. "Do you have the same problem?"

The red haired teen shrugged. "Not entirely the same... Jaune's fan club is _notorious_ for their antics. I've seen firsthand how they can be." She paused. "There was this one time— I had a bout with him." Both Jaune and her expressions darkened before she continued. "My fans got into a little scuffle with his, and there were... some legal repercussions."

"Legal repercussions?" Weiss looked curious now, rather than angry.

"T-there was a brawl," Jaune interrupted. "Many casualties. Vandalism, aggravated assault... all sorts of messed up stuff. Apparently they had a disagreement about whose... outfits looked better at a media conference before the fight."

Weiss pulled out her scroll but Jaune quickly shook his hands. "Y-you don't want to watch it. Seriously. My fans are not normal."

"You _**mistook**_ me for one!" Weiss let out a long breath but it did little to calm her temper. "Schnees are not rabid fangirls. They are patrons, those who _endorse_ athletes like yourself or Pyrrha. I am absolutely offended you would think such a thing of me!"

"To my defense," Jaune looked to her and swallowed, "You were the one who admitted to being a fangirl— a high ranking one. What was I supposed to think? That you were manipulating me and lying to get me to be your teammate?"

Weiss blanched. "I-It wasn't like that!"

"I know, I know." Jaune gently said, patting her arm. "But I'm just saying I didn't think you were some kind of zealot because you _looked_ like someone who might be a crazy fan. You _said_ it."

She visibly relaxed, and Jaune let out a sigh before clearing his throat. "N-now that we've got that out of the way, I think we need to talk about something else."

"Yes?"

"About you and Ruby." The latter winced and began to try to escape, but Pyrrha seemed to realize Jaune's plan and quickly clamped onto Ruby's hood, leaving her squirming.

"That... _dolt_ needs to learn how to behave! Her behavior was irresponsible, unacceptable, and not befitting of a Huntress-in-training. Did you see what she was doing during class?" Weiss pointed a finger at Ruby. "I concede that Professor Port is not the most engaging of instructors, but we owe him the respect he deserves, and he surely has lessons to teach. If we are to be protectors of humanity, we should show better attitudes!" She released a sigh as she finished her tirade.

"Okay, okay." Ruby raised her hands in defeat. "I get it. I'll study harder, jeez. You're right about that."

"Hmph." Weiss crossed her arms. "That's only one of the things. You were also a complete nuisance during my bout with the Boarbatusk! Trying to boss me around!"

"Weiss— I don't know what your problem is with me, but I swear that's not what I intended. I was just trying to help!" Ruby spoke honestly, her silver eyes looking sadly at her.

"If that's the case, then you need to reconsider how you give _help._ " Weiss said coldly, leaning against the bedpost. "I can handle myself on the battlefield. I do _not_ need you telling me what to do."

"Enough!"

Ruby, Weiss, and Jaune turned to see their leader daring them to speak out with a cold glance. Her emerald eyes flashed dangerously. Even Jaune was taken aback— he had known Pyrrha since, well, forever, and she almost _never_ lost her cool. The last time she had was when she had left... and they had had a heated disagreement.

"Weiss— your attitude needs work. I think you aren't giving Ruby a fair chance. I know you want to excel in everything you do— why not channel that towards being the best partner you can be?"

Weiss' mouth opened and closed, but no words came out. Jaune had to grudgingly admit that Pyrrha was right. As relieved as he was that Weiss wasn't some kind of obsessive fangirl, she _had_ been sort of a jerk to Ruby since they had met. Hadn't she yelled at Ruby for sneezing on her Dust?

Realizing he probably needed to help his partner, he turned to Ruby. "Ruby— I understand you want to help. I don't think you _wanted_ to boss Weiss around. Maybe it'd be better to give her some breathing room. She's a good fighter in her own right. Plus, she's right about the academic part— I need to be more focused too. In order to be the best Huntsman and Huntress we can be, we need to work harder."

He patted her on the shoulder to show her he wasn't telling her off, but simply giving advice. Ruby seemed to consider his words for a moment before nodding. Jaune turned to Weiss. "Weiss?"

The heiress clenched her fists and sighed. "Y-you're right. Both you and Pyrrha." She nodded to the champion gratefully before turning to Ruby. "I'll try to be the best partner I can be. I-I'll be more understanding with you." She pushed out the next sentence with excruciating difficulty. "I _suppose_ I'm a bit difficult at times..." She trailed before nodding once. "But I'll work on it. I'll even help you study, Ruby. I won't be too caustic about it as well."

The two looked at each other for a second, before they shared a brief smile. Weiss offered a tentative handshake, which Ruby took awkwardly before jumping up. "Hug?" She asked hopefully. Jaune looked to the heiress. _No way..._

"Don't push your luck." Weiss grumbled, pushing her away. _There she is._

Jaune sighed before sitting down on his own bed, watching as Weiss began to instruct Ruby on her assignments. He smiled as she noticed the heiress trying her utmost to be patient— a futile effort, but admirable nonetheless. She was a tough nut, but at least she wasn't a fervent admirer of his. Even better was that she had given Ruby a second chance.

Maybe his team wasn't _as_ bad as he had thought.

His mind flashed to a certain red haired girl.

At least, half of it wasn't so bad.

* * *

 **Yeah, Pyrrha taking action doesn't sound very Pyrrha, but you have to note that this Pyrrha isn't completely like the canon—** **she's grown up with Jaune, and that's changed her. She's not** _ **as**_ **afraid to take charge, and having a lifelong friend beside her as helped her confidence.**

 **That's sort of the problem with the character in the show. I really like Pyrrha as a character, but she's the kind of person who lacks a backbone. I think politely standing on the sidelines for her entire life has led to that kind of behavior, whereas maybe being afforded at least a semi-normal childhood with minimum** _ **one friend**_ **emboldens her a bit.**

 **Anyways, see you next chapter!**


	7. update

Hey everyone!

Sorry, it's been quite a while. I'm actually still a student so the workload gets pretty oppressive during, well, any time that isn't the summer. This summer's unusually busy as well, too, which sucks.

I'm looking back on this story and noticing quite a few poor decisions especially when it came to the Pyrrha-Jaune setup, so I've erased the last three chapters... I know, not the best of decisions but I'd like a somewhat clean slate.

I don't know if I'll be continuing **this** or **writing a new story** , but I'll try to keep you posted.

I'm going to be making some edits from time to time to polish this story up before I get on with my tenth chapter. I don't know when that will be or if it'll happen, but time will tell.

Thanks!

-naltrike


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